The Second Prophecy
by Zalini
Summary: New Graduate Auror Ronald Wesley is sent on an impossible mission into the muggle world. To find and protect a witch who could be the key to saving the magical world from a new and dangerous threat. He's not sure if she really is the one plus...well she doesn't exactly know she is a witch. An AU HP story. Nominated for Most Intriguing Plot on Tumblr 2016 Romione Awards.
1. Summary & Table of Contents

**Summary:**...New Graduate Auror Ronald Wesley is sent on an impossible mission into the muggle world. To find and protect a witch who could be the key to saving the magical world from a new and dangerous threat. He's not entirely sure if she really is the one and to make his mission even harder is the fact that ...well she doesn't exactly know she is a witch. An AU HP story.

 _ **AN:**_ _For the few of you who follow my stories and are still in shock…yes it's really me, and I am actually starting a new multi chapter story which I had planned for quite a while. This is a Romione AU story which spans between the muggle and magic worlds. It's in four parts and will combine fluff romance, drama, action and mystery. I also do promise to complete this story and to periodically update my other current story "Only with You". My profile has also been updated so take a look if interested._

 **The Second Prophecy.**

 **Contents**

 **Part 1 – Mission in a Muggle World.**

 **Part 2 – The Journey Back.**

 **Part 3 – The Prophecy.**

 **Part 4 – Choices of the Heart.**

 **o0o**


	2. The List

**The Second Prophecy.**

 **Part 1 – Mission in a Muggle World**

 **Chapter 1: The List**

 **April 2001**

The distinct cracking sound of magical apparition echoed around the small clearing in the forest as two male bodies tumbled out of a small prickly bush in a loud and ungainly heap.

"Ouch! What the hell! Umph!" The tall redhead cursed loudly before ending up sprawled on his back.

"Yikes! Ouch!" The smaller man hissed with more restraint as he landed on all fours with his rounded spectacles askew on his face.

With practiced ease, the two men rolled in opposite directions before crouching on one knee with wands held in the ready position already silently scouting around their surroundings. After checking that the area was safe, both stood at ease before shaking off the remains of their untidy landing.

The lanky redhead brushed some dirt off his robes. They were dark royal blue with a thin red trim marking his position as a member of the Auror Special Forces (ASF).

"Tell me again why do we always get these bloody scouting missions in the middle of nowhere? And why do we always seem to apparate into some ungodly bush. Shit! I think I have some pickers up my ass!"

His companion chuckled softly before replying as he picked some stray leaves from his mop of black hair. "Because we are the youngest and newest graduates in the force, because we are a bit famous and our supervisor may be a little jealous… but mostly because you keep pissing him off Ron. I don't know why you insist on driving him crazy."

It was the other man's turn to chuckle as he broke into a small grin. "Hey I just love to see his big nose blow up even bigger whenever he gets angry and do you see how he turns this weird shade of purple too. I know you like that Harry." He laughed softly.

It was true that Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were the youngest aurors to come out of the prestigious Special Forces branch but they had served their time. Two years of intensive training with almost a year in the field starting right after the end of the second war in May of 1998. Right after Harry had killed the crazy dark lord Voldemort. Kinsley Shaklebolt had formed the Special Forces branch of the Aurors and had recruited Harry and Ron along with the best of the remaining aurors who had survived the war. Their task was specific and focussed on the apprehension of any remaining death eaters and investigation into all illegal dark magic and any perceived threats or uprising in the magic world.

They were both still young with Ron just turning 21 and Harry to reach the milestone in a few months but they were both war weary with the experience of having spent most of their lives fighting against the constant threat of Voldemort. They were young yes but they were arguable the best of the new Auror force and some people were not all too pleased with their success.

"Enough about purple noses. Let's get a move on and head down to our target." Harry ordered seriously as he turned towards the edge of the dark forest. They moved slowly and silently away from the forest across the small field towards the outline of a small farmhouse surrounded by a circle of smaller trees.

After a long pause at the trees, they split up each going around the dark property putting up anti apparation spells before finally meeting behind a short tree stump at the side of the main house.

"Anything?" Harry enquired still looking at the house.

"Nothing. Not a peep. Not even a guard. You?"

"Nothing. It looks completely deserted. There's a small barn behind the house but that looks dead too." Harry indicated with a frustrated sigh.

"Do you think that old Hinkson messed up on the info?" Ron asked quietly.

Harry shook his head slowly. "Nah I don't think so. He has been reliable all the times before. Maybe he got the date wrong."

Being famous came with some advantages, one being that a lot of people loyal to the cause trusted Harry and Ron to some extent with anonymous information that were a vital help in their work. There had been a rash of activity lately among some of the disorganized death eaters as well as reports of missing persons both muggle and magical and the ASF were chasing all leads to determine if something big was afoot. This was another such lead that caused them to investigate this house where a clandestine meeting was supposed to be taking place.

After another long pause Harry turned to Ron a bit nervously.

"So…erm…you feel anything?" He asked quietly.

Ron unconsciously rubbed his left arm lightly over the faded scars before closing his eyes for a few seconds.

"Nope. Not a tingle." He informed Harry with a shake of his head as he opened his eyes to stare at him.

It was a crazy thing but ever since his attack at the end of fifth year at the department of mysteries, Ron had gotten so used to his arm tingling at various times and sometimes even heating up that he never paid much attention to it. He just thought that it was a reaction to the brains attack and that he was stuck with the side effects forever.

However as time passed he noticed that whenever there was direct danger or even the threat of danger close by, his arm would act up giving him some advance warning. It was still random and he was still working out the different feelings that came across his long freckled arm but it had saved their asses a couple of times and Harry while at first reluctant to trust this new phenomenon now seemed to happily accept this magical ability of Ron who he trusted implicitly anyway. They kept it a secret among them for obvious reasons.

"Damn. Well let's call in anyway and give them the bad news. They can apparate in that little field behind us. " Harry moved away and tapped his wand against the dull brass shield attached to his robe above his left chest.

This was a simple communication device developed after the war by George Weasley after spending a lot of time in the muggle world with Ron. It worked like a muggle short wave radio device but with magic at its core. The ASF was the only department currently testing the device and it had undergone a few changes but was fast becoming an invaluable tool as it also had the advantage of having a built in tracking device which allowed the department to know the location of all its aurors in the field at any given time.

Soon there was a series of dull sounds in the dark and eventually three other blue robes appeared in front of them.

The oldest man with a large rounded nose was the first to remark. "So this looks like a wild goose chase Potter. I knew that crazy old fart was just pulling our chain."

"You never complained when he was always right before Harris. Seems you only like it when things go your way." Ron immediately shot in.

"Shut up Weasley. Maybe you like wasting your time but we can't have the force running all over the countryside chasing shadows." Harris glared at Ron and it did look like his nose had swelled a bit. Harry interjected to get them back to the matter at hand.

"Look Harris. Hinkson is a solid and trusted informer. The place fits his information but maybe he got the date wrong or they cancelled the meeting. We can still make a check. The anti-apparation spells are in place but there is no trace of anyone inside. "

Harris was still glaring at Ron but eventually turned to Harry. "OK. We will still go inside and make a check pass. Better to be sure." He pointed his wand at Harry and Ron. "You two stay out here and be alert. Come on Willis and Collins, we're going inside. Be careful."

As the three shapes cautiously approached the dark house, Ron and Harry moved to the back where they had a better view of the surrounding area. The old barn stood silently to the side as they stooped next to a bale of hay.

Suddenly Ron stiffened up rubbing his arm and stared at the barn door. Harry gave him a silent look of enquiry.

"I think something is in there. I felt it." Ron whispered.

"Do we alert Harris?" Harry asked.

"Are you kidding! What do we say?...well Ron has a feeling in his arm so we should investigate? I think not!" Ron rolled his eyes as he made his point.

Harry only hesitated for a moment. "Ok what are we waiting for? Let's take a look."

The two friends quietly approached the barn door which was already slightly ajar. They both slipped inside and moved in opposite directions without making a sound. As their eyes adjusted to the dark, it soon became clear that the barn was indeed deserted. Harry signaled Ron and they met huddled in a stall close to the middle of the barn.

"Are you sure you felt something?" asked Harry as he peered around. Ron had his eyes closed again.

"I told you I'm still working out this thing but yeah I can still feel something. Maybe it's just a hungry cow or some other angry animal. See or hear anything?" he asked somewhat relaxed now. Harry shook his head and after a few more minutes they both stood up and walked to the middle of the barn.

"Well that was another false alarm." Ron ventured as he rubbed his arm again. "Still tingling though. Wonder what it was?"

"It could be a big spider somewhere." Harry said with a straight face. "That should make you tingle big time I guess." He now chuckled out.

"Ha ha. Funny Harry." Ron replied but his eyes had gone a bit wide. "Maybe we should go outside before…" he never got to finish his sentence as the ground in front of them suddenly opened up with a loud bang and they both jumped. A large human figure popped up under a trap door in the floor.

"Come on man. Enough of the drinking. Let's go. We should have left ages ago so…." The death eater froze as he came face to face with the two surprised Aurors who had also frozen in place.

Harry reacted first as always as he let out a stunner straight at the man who was half out of the door. He fell and tumbled down the short stairs heavily.

"Shit! Someone is out there. Hurry! Grab the list or destroy it and let's get out here!" they heard from somewhere beneath them.

Harry glanced quickly at Ron who nodded in return before throwing himself down the stairs with Harry following right behind.

A spell shattered part of the stair between them but Ron had quickly put up a shield as Harry landed on the ground of the small underground room. There were two other men there and one were trying to apparate out with a piece of parchment in his hand while the other was firing spells all around. Harry quickly took him out with another stunner as Ron moved forward. Before the other man could raise his wand Ron had disarmed him and then conjured restraints for both men.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Harry bent down and took the parchment from the unconscious man who seemed desperate to leave with it. It was a bit crumpled but he bent over the small table in the corner and flattened it out as best he could. Ron leaned over his shoulder to take a look.

….It was a short list of about ten female names with corresponding dates of birth.

 **o0o**

The small farmhouse was abuzz with activity as it was now taken over as a makeshift base for the aurors. Harry and Ron were consigned to the kitchen after being chewed out by Harris and even though Ron had put in his two cents worth of arguments it had only made things worse. Harry in the meanwhile seemed fixated on the damn list that they had found and kept coming up with multiple scenarios that sounded more and more unlikely.

Harry had sealed the parchment closed before giving it to Harris as he suspected it was worth the protection especially as the Death Eaters had wanted to destroy it before reaching their hands. In his opinion, only the Head Auror would decide whose eyes would rest on the list.

The list comprised female names some of whom they recognized from school. Harry immediately seized upon this fact and surmised that it was the start of another sinister Death Eater plot. Ron tuned out after a few crazy guesses and continued to rub his sore right knee which had taken a knock earlier. Either way, Ron had decided that it was just a continuation of the horrible ways of horrible people and that he would just go on with his job like he had always done before.

"How's your knee? Harry suddenly asked. "That was some dive down those steps you did back there." He clarified. Ron looked a bit sheepish.

"Actually I landed on my ass. I hit it against a wall during the little skirmish after but its fine Harry." He stressed firmly.

Ron had injured that right knee during the final battle with Voldemort and for some reason Harry still felt some guilt with it. It was true that Ron had taken the spell that almost shattered his knee to pieces jumping in front of his friend but the healers had for all purposes magically reconstructed it back to almost new. Every now and then it acted up after a severe blow or strain but to Ron it was a small discomfort that did not deserve his friend feeling guilty about it.

Before Harry could reply they were both roused by the sudden appearance of Kingsley Shacklebolt the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Auror Ben Taylor the head of the ASF. The two senior men each pulled up a seat and Kinsley gestured to the two graduate aurors to follow same.

"Sir, if this is about the way we went about the capture, well there is a good explanation." Harry started right away. Ron piped in without a pause.

"Yeah, I know Harris is making a big deal but they were underground and obviously used a concealment charm. We didn't even know they were there until one of the bastards just popped up on us. Scared the crap out of me I tell you." He explained before sitting down in a chair.

The tall dark man waved his hand dismissively. "I am not here for that." He told the two young men before addressing the Head Auror.

"Has anyone else seen this list besides Harry and Ron here?" He asked the grey haired Auror pointing to the parchment now on the kitchen table. Ben Taylor shook his head.

"No. I am sure. Harris had it with him but Harry had already sealed it closed before handing it over to him." The Department Head let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Thanks Harry I know I can always count on you to do the right thing." He said tensely. Harry and Ron both glanced at each other before leaning forward a bit. Before they could ask the obvious question the Head Auror held up his hand to his department head.

"Wait Kingsley. Before you go telling these young ones here. Are we even sure these are the same names as our list? Have you had time to check them side by side?" he asked solemnly. Kingsley let out another sigh but this time loudly.

"I don't have to Ben, I know each name by heart. It's the same list we started with last month...well except for one name." At this last remark he looked surprisingly straight at Ron who suddenly felt as if the room had heated up a few degrees.

"That's where you come in Ron. You have a very important mission ahead of you!"

 **o0o**


	3. The Second Prophecy

**Chapter 2: The Second Prophecy**

Ron and Harry brushed off the soot from the floo as they arrived in the large entrance foyer of the Ministry of Magic. They checked in their wands at the security checkpoint and headed off to the elevators. This was now the only way into the Ministry.

After the war, a number of security changes were recommended and implemented at the large Ministry and one of the first was that the existing floo network and other entrances to the building were closed off and relocated to the new entrance foyer. Everyone entering and leaving the building now had to pass through this security checkpoint. It was crowded and crazy in the morning and evening but it worked as well as expected and everyone felt safer for it.

As the heavy elevators descended Ron let out a weary sigh.

"Well so much for my request for a well-deserved vacation. And what the hell is this bloody mission about? And why only me? You have any ideas?" he asked his friend next to him. To be honest it was a bit disconcerting to be on a mission without Harry as they had always been together…well except for his four month inaugural mission into muggle London last year.

"Sorry not a clue. I guess we will soon find out when we meet with Kingsley. I guess your plans for renovation of that old house of yours will have to wait so it looks like we're both stuck with each other for a bit longer." Harry indicated.

Ron had finally committed to buy an old cottage in Devon but had insisted that he renovate it by himself with only Harry and Bill knowing of the purchase. He had been working on the property on the weekends and whenever he got some free time but had planned to take vacation to work exclusively on his future home. That plan was now up in smoke with this new mission…whatever it was.

"Well you also get a pass from being my chief helper and advisor. I guess you can look forward to more time with Ginny eh?" he smirked as Harry smiled. "When are you going to pop the question mate? It's been over two years right?"

Harry's smile did not lessen as he turned to his friend. "We're still too young Ron and she's now starting her career at the Prophet. I know your Mom is expecting something soon but we have all the time in the world mate." Harry's smile turned into a teasing smirk. "What about you Ron. Since you finally got rid of Lav Lav you seem to be just drifting from port to port and leaving in the dead of night."

Ron's face squeezed into a sour twist.

"Please don't remind me of my years of folly Harry and no…I just don't have time for anyone. I have my house and you to look after ha ha." Ron's face relaxed into a small smile as the elevator came to a loud stop and they both proceeded to Kingsley's office.

Harry's remarks had been pretty close to the truth. Ron and Lavender Brown had become a couple during his sixth year at Hogwarts, then was suspended during the time when he went off with Harry until the end of the war…then reignited for a short time…then suspended after a big fight…then reignited when she cried on their doorstep…then broken off…then restarted…well you get the general idea. Ron in fact really liked Lavender and was forever grateful for all her good to him but her over smothering ways and annoying habits tended to put him off. The fact that he knew he would never love her finally made him end their tumultuous affiliation for good about a year ago.

Since then Ron had tried to carry on with a normal romantic life and god knows there were many willing witches who were available due to his notoriety, general good disposition as well as his better than average physical attributes, but it was just too hard and tedious for him as he never connected with any of the dates he went on. In the end he just concentrated on his work and on the renovation on his house and for now he was fine with both.

All thoughts of their personal lives evaporated when they entered the office of the Head of Department and saw none other than the Hogwart's Headmistress sitting alongside the ASF head and looking a bit agitated.

"Professor McGonagall? What are you doing…I mean it's good to see you." Harry stuttered out before catching himself over the surprise visit.

"Well it's always nice to see you both Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley." The old professor hid a small smile behind her stern appearance before turning sharply towards the tall Head of Department. "Even though I did not think I would be here over an issue that I had hoped would not have come up for a long time, if ever at all after the war."

"Believe me Minerva I am the last one to admit that the time has come and so soon after the war, but we cannot ignore it any longer." Kingsley Shacklebolt ran his large hands over his face before reaching for his wand and muttering a spell which caused a drawer to open silently from his desk. He withdrew a sheet of parchment and looked it over with a grunt before looking at Harry and Ron.

"Might as well just get it over with." He said seriously to the two young men who were now in sitting in small seats to the side of his desk.

"Before Dumbledore died he informed a few select members of the order that there was a second prophecy. As you shall soon see, even though the first line was very revealing, at the time we did not see the need to release this prophecy as the war with Voldemort was still being fought and we did not deem it relevant enough to affect that particular outcome. After the war, we also believed that this prophecy would have taken years, even decades before becoming relevant again even if it were true." He paused before taking a long breath.

"A select few of us have always continued to…monitor and update ourselves over the contents of this prophecy just to be prepared but I am afraid to admit that the time has come upon us sooner that we ever envisaged." Shacklebolt slowly handed over the parchment to Harry before continuing.

"I want you two to read this first and then I will brief you further. Please read it out loud Harry." He indicated before sinking back into his seat.

Harry and Ron peered over the sheet of paper on which the secret had been kept for all of three small years. Harry cleared his throat and read aloud:-

" _THERE WILL COME A TIME AFTER THE DEATH OF THE DARK LORD_

 _WHEN ANOTHER SHALL RISE WITH HIS BLOOD,_

 _A WITCH AS POWERFUL AND HUNGRY FOR POWER AS BEFORE,_

 _FOR SHE SHALL TAKE CONTROL OF THE MAGIC WORLD AND NONE SHALL STOP HER._

 _EXCEPT FOR THE ONE,_

 _THE ONE WITH THE MOON AND THE STARS,_

 _THE ONE BORN IN ALBION OF MUGGLE BLOOD AND PURE OF BODY,_

 _IN HER TWENTY FIRST YEAR SHE SHALL BE THE KEY TO THE DOWNFALL OF THE QUEEN,_

 _FOR SHE SHALL STRIKE BETWEEN THE TWO TOWERS OF MAGICAL STRENGTH_

 _AND THE QUEEN SHALL BE NO MORE._

 _FOR THIS IS THE PROPHECY, FOR THIS IS THE TRUTH."_

After a long silent pause in the room Ron suddenly stood up and let out an angry snarl.

"Merlin bloody hell! Why do we always have to deal with these crazy predictions!" he spat before turning to Harry. "At least it's not you this time that has to defeat this…this…queen person!" he blew out before falling back into his seat looking suddenly tired and deflated.

With his eyes a bit wide with dread, Harry meanwhile handed back the parchment to Kingsley.

"Shit Kingsley! Another powerful evil person to deal with. I suppose all the relevant death eater activity and that list we recovered has relevance to this right?" he asked loudly. Kingsley nodded as he laid the parchment on his desk in front of him. Harry blew out a loud breath of air before continuing in a surprisingly even tone.

"Why do you think this…witch queen whoever she is…is here now? Do you have any leads on who she is? And the one to defeat her? Is she on that list?" he asked. The Head of Department glanced down at the parchment before raising his hand.

"Ok. Let me start at the beginning for everyone's sake. Up to a few weeks ago, we were pretty sure no one else except the people in this room knew about this prophecy. Remus and Tonks knew about it and Dumbledore of course but no one else in the order was told. Not even Snape. We kept it a secret but we started to make a list of names to fit the "one" in the prophecy as soon as the war ended. Since we had no idea when the events would ever unfold we had to keep updating the list every month." He took a sip of water from a glass on his desk before proceeding.

"About three weeks ago I started to notice that someone was very gradually invading my memories using advanced Legilimency when I was asleep. It was very subtle and very specific but I finally picked it up before shutting them out completely. Whoever it was, he…or she, is extremely good as it took me a few days to notice. I was worried that it was just someone gathering information on the Department but when you found that list I knew that this person had now learnt about the prophecy and was compiling their own list." He was interrupted here by Ron.

"So how exactly are you putting this list together? You don't have much to go on. I am assuming that the witch in question is a British muggle born who has to be Twenty-one years of age…but pure of body? And what's that thing about the moon and the stars?" He asked. It was the Headmistress who spoke up now.

"You are so right Mr. Weasley but the few clues we have does narrow down the field. You would recognize some of the names on the confiscated list as they were in Hogwarts around your time there. We do not understand the reference to the moon and stars but this witch referred to must be Twenty-one years of age at the moment, be muggle born and…a virgin. It doesn't sound like much but you will be surprised how many witches we can eliminate without those qualities." She paused to take in Ron and Harry's surprised faces as she turned to Kingsley again who picked up where she left off.

"Minerva has been compiling this list every month from every registered muggle born witch in Britain and doing some discrete investigations on each name to determine if they suit the list. Don't forget we don't know for a fact if this thing is real but we have kept track of every single one. Luckily the list is not long and we have been able to eliminate quite a few names. From that list of ten names, we have managed to verify only three who really match at this moment in time. We have been able to partially isolate them and they are under constant surveillance." Kingsley paused for a few seconds as he now addressed Ron and Harry directly.

"The man you stopped last evening from leaving with the list is an administrative manager working in the Department of Wizarding Registry. He was able to compile the list but had no time to narrow down the names like we have. After his capture we learnt under veritaserum that no one else has seen that list so at least all the witches in question are safe for now. We have locked down the department and sealed all the records from further viewing." He was now stopped by Harry.

"What about the queen witch? Who can she be?" he asked earnestly. It was now Ben Taylor the Head of the ASF who answered.

"We have been following every lead we can find and questioning every person who may be connected but have come up empty handed so far. If we are to believe the prophecy then this witch may in some way be related to Tom Riddle but again we have not made any headway there. It has been difficult as we cannot tell anyone about the prophecy. I just have a few trusted Aurors working in the blind." He finished a bit lamely.

Harry was now the one on his feet.

"You could have told us Kingsley! We could have helped!" He rounded on the man behind the desk who raised his hand again apologetically.

"Harry we won't even sure if this was real and I didn't want to burden you any more after going through…what you did before. I hope you understand but I need both of you now. That's why you are here."

Harry stopped his small pacing and looked at his friend with resignation. Ron returned the look before nodding and Harry took his place next to him in the small seat with a look of some determination.

"OK. How can we help? Now that this thing appears to be a little more than a few words on parchment."

Kingsley also nodded before pulling out a small folder from his desk. He coughed softly before speaking.

"There is one other name that is not on any list. A few days ago Minerva found another muggle born name whose records have apparently been missing with the Ministry due to a somewhat tragic twist of fate. Her birth was recorded but her records were incomplete. It appears that she was travelling through Europe with her parents at the time of her Hogwarts notification. It further appears that her parents did not wish to entertain such notions of magic etc. They were very clear in intimating that their daughter would attend normal muggle school and that the whole idea of a magical world was unimaginable and foolery. The Hogwarts official assigned to notify this muggle born witch and her family was a very old trusted witch who worked with Minerva and Dumbledore at the time. She tried on many instances to convince the parents but eventually had to return to England due to ill health where she died soon after before filing any report. All of the girl's records and notes of her Hogwarts invitation were misplaced. It is by sheer luck and late effort that Minerva was able to find these records and notes and bring it to our attention."

The Headmistress sighed loudly next to the two boys before speaking quietly.

"I guess it was my fault but she was a dear friend and her death was a big blow to us. I was so distraught with grief at the time that the case she was working on was inadvertently forgotten. I just assumed that the paperwork was filed and that the girl was just one of the few who was lost to us in the muggle world. I never thought about her until a few days ago."

Kingsley gave the elderly witch a look of understanding as he continued.

"This works in our favour. Nobody knows about her so we have some time. All we have is an address and a name but we have to make some form of contact and determine if she fits on our list." That is when he turned to Ron with a straight stare that reminded him of the previous evening and like the previous time, he felt the room suddenly heat up.

"This is your mission Ron. You have to go and find this muggle born witch, make contact to firstly determine if she fits all the requirements of the prophecy and if so, you have to protect her and find a way to bring her in before anyone else finds out."

There was a loud silence in the room as Ron's chest seemed to cave in on him. He finally took in a few loud breaths before sputtering out.

"What! Why…why me! Why can't you just go and pick her up and bring her in. Surely that would be easier! Really!" he cried out in a bit of panic as Harry grabbed his arm to quiet him down. The Head of Department shook his head.

"We can't Ron. Don't forget that we don't even know if the person who was poking around in my head is in fact this queen witch or just some talented wizard. We just have to be prepared. We can't just go kidnapping women off the streets and besides we know nothing of her. Someone needs to investigate discreetly before we can do anything and…well…there is another problem." He coughed again as both Ron and Harry swayed forward in dreaded anticipation. Kingsley sighed as he closed his eyes for a moment.

"From the notes we have, it is most likely that this girl's parents never told her about the Hogwarts letter. ….It is most likely that she doesn't even know that she is a witch." He finished as Ron finally blew up.

"Are you kidding me! Holy bleeding shit! How am I ever going to….wait hold on. Why do you keep referring to me alone in this? Surely you mean both Harry and me right?" Ron reasoned hopefully. The dark man again shook his head.

"No Ron. It will only be you out in the field. Harry will be your backup but only to report your progress and in emergencies. You will again be working with Miss. Inglefield as your muggle liaison officer from the department of Muggle Affairs who you worked with on your last mission in the muggle world which I am told you did a fine job of." He finally let out a small smile as Ron continued to protest.

"But that doesn't make sense! Harry grew up in a muggle home. He has loads more experience than me when it comes to something like this." He threw at Kingsley who seemed a bit tired himself.

"Harry is too well know and besides he is to be assigned to a new team under Ben which shall be investigating this unknown queen witch." Kingsley continued after a pause and a glance at Harry. "Ron you are the more personable of the two, you can think fast on your feet and you can make friends faster I have seen it. You are of the same age and you have some experience from your last mission in the muggle world. I don't have anyone else who I can trust with this Ron. It has to be you." He said in an authoritative voice that Ron did not mistake. He felt Harry give his arm a reassuring squeeze and he slumped down on his chair.

Ron was not one to ever back down on a mission no matter how insane or farfetched it seemed. He still had some questions to ask first as he turned to the Head Auror.

"What are the mission parameters Sir? If I'm operating on my own I need to know." He asked.

Ben Taylor chanced a glance at Kingsley before answering.

"You will be fully in charge on this one Weasley. You make all the decisions and relay to your backup. You have to blend in. You are not to use force unless absolutely necessary. No unforgivables of course and you keep your magic to a minimum. Your target's safety is the priority at all times. Once she is confirmed you contact me and we will plan a safe and realistic isolation or extraction." He stated formally. Ron nodded in understanding.

"What about memory charms?" he asked. Taylor paused before answering.

"Again only if necessary and limited to ten minutes of erasure. You should be careful here Weasley." He clarified. Ron seemed to accept these answers as he sat up a bit.

"OK fine. Give me the file and let's get this bloody thing started." he said as he held out his hand.

Kingsley Shacklebolt quickly passed him the folder on his desk and Ron opened it to find one small parchment paper with a few works written in bold ink.

HERMIONE GRANGER

21 Heathgate,

Hampstead,

London NW11 7AP

England,

 **o0o**


	4. The First Step

**Chapter 3: The First Step.**

Ron and Harry stood in silence in the dimly lit corridor in front of the elevator both still stunned by the revelations they had just been privy to in the office behind them. Not moving to call the elevator, the two young men were both a bit lost in thought. Ron finally sighed and turned to his best friend.

"So…another crazy power hungry person trying to take over the magical world. Sounds just up your alley mate." He pointed out with a hint of a joke.

"Yeah…and you going on a mission in the muggle world again. If your witch is a hottie then you could be having a hell of a vacation after all." Harry chuckled in return.

"Yeah right before I tell her she's a witch, drag her away and inform her that she may have to face a powerful nasty woman who wants to control our world. Sounds very romantic to me." He smirked sarcastically at his friend. "How about we switch missions. I'm sure if you beg Kingsley he will see reason." Ron said a bit too eagerly.

Harry leaned against the corridor wall as he wiped his spectacles in his blue robes.

"No Ron. Actually Kingsley was right. You are the better one for this. Even though I may be more comfortable in the muggle world, I won't have a clue how to get started. You are a lot better when it comes to interacting with people. I know you can do this Ron and whatever you need I will be here for you." He informed the tall ginger before breaking into a smile. "And hey you get to work with Tess again. What could be better than that?" he smirked as Ron returned the smile.

"Well that's the only good part of this whole bloody mission that I can see. It will be good to work with her again I must say." He answered following his friend against the wall.

Tessa Inglefield was a senior officer attached to the Department of Muggle Affairs who had prepped him and was his operation liaison on his previous mission into the muggle world. A few months after his graduation, Ron had been assigned to shadow one David Barker, a crooked wizard suspected in dealing a variety of illegal potions and drugs and had ended up in the heart of London as his investigation had revealed that Barker's circle of associates included a number of muggles who he frequently made deals with at a local club. In order to close down the whole operation, Ron had taken an undercover job in the muggle club as a cleaner/bouncer/gopher for a couple of weeks and had surprisingly blended in enough to gather enough information for the Department to shut down Barker and his drug business.

Ron had actually come a long way with the customs and peculiarities of the muggle world since leaving school thanks in part to Harry but mainly due to his former girlfriend Lavender Brown who loved to frequent the various shops and restaurants of London. Despite this, he would not have made any headway in his mission without Tessa. She had given him a crash refresher course on the main muggle ways and was always just a call away to solve any of his numerous problems as they popped up.

After shaking his head, he heaved his lanky body off the wall next to Harry.

"Might as well get to it then. I'll stop by the Burrow to say goodbye to Mum and Ginny before I come home. See you then. It looks like I will be probably be leaving tomorrow morning." He informed Harry before the elevator door opened with the usual clang and he stepped forward.

"Say hello to Tess for me." Harry said loudly as his head disappeared into the elevator.

 **o0o**

Ron walked past the rows of small open cubicles in the Department of Muggle Affairs before reaching the office of his destination. The door was open and he paused in the doorway to take in the sight of the person he had come to see. She was tall and dark haired with a full body that was currently hunched in front of an open drawer of a filing cabinet. It really was good to see her again.

"Whatever you're looking for will have to wait I'm afraid." He quipped. The woman spun around with her hand on her ample chests.

"Ron! You scared the shit out of me you moron!" she gasped before giving him a genuine smile. He suddenly remembered why he liked this girl so much.

"Nice to see you too Tess. You look great as always." He said returning the smile.

"I was expecting you later but it's really good to see you." The woman gave him a kiss on his cheek before pulling him into the office and shutting the door. He settled down on a seat as Tessa Inglefield tried to clean up her messy desk as she sat down across from him.

"So how have you been? I haven't see you enough since we last worked together. How many hearts have you broken since then I dare to ask." She laughed out. Ron was still smiling.

"Haven't had the time with my work sorry to say. What about you? Still engaged to that house salesman? We could have had a beautiful thing together if you gave me a chance. You're only a few years older than me." He returned with a smirk.

"He's a real estate broker and the only beautiful thing we had together were those lovely dinners in London. I miss that actually." She chucked again before going a bit serious and clearing her long shapely throat.

"So I have been informed by Kingsley that you are heading out on another secret mission into the muggle world and that no one is to know. Can I ask what this is about?" She immediately requested. Ron slowly shook his head.

"Nope. Sorry. All I can say is that I have to find a certain witch, get to know her, then if she is who we think she is, I have to find a way to bring her in safely. Simple." He laughed out softly.

"Do you know where she is?" Tess asked.

"All I have is a name and an address in London. That's where I start I guess and it has to be from tomorrow." He informed her. The young lady across from him leaned back into her chair tapping her fingers against the arm rests before speaking.

"Ok. I'm sure you remember all about muggle transport, money matters and wearing the right clothing. Actually you were rather good with those the last time I must say so you can start right away after I give you a few maps, some cash and a credit card like before. You should still have enough clothes to get by I'm guessing." She raised an eyebrow at him as he nodded in the affirmative.

"Right. If and when you locate her we can proceed from there. I will set up a communication shield so that we can be in touch with each other. I'm also assuming that Harry is your backup so I will also set up with him just in case. Now let's find the nearest tube station to that address you have." The pretty officer suddenly leaned forward and busied herself with various contents in her desk drawer. Ron watched in admiration. Tess really was the most sorted witch he knew.

He was soon handed a large envelope with the relevant muggle stuff inside with a list of reminders that he was advised to study just in case. She also included a tube map and a map of Hampstead with the address marked in red for him. As he was checking the map, Tess tapped his hand and gave him another small smile.

"Please try and not blow up anything this time Ron…and watch out for those muggle drinks. I'm not coming to your aid if it involves anti hangover potions." She smirked as Ron rolled his eyes and laughed out.

"Funny Miss. Inglefield ha ha. In my defence I did not know that metals were not allowed in a microwave machine and I certainly did not know how something so bubbly and delicious could knock me over like a bludger to my head." He defended himself with another chuckle.

"Well no more champagne for you Mr. Weasley. Now get out and go and see your father since you are here already. I expect to hear from you as soon as you know something. Remember keep your magic to a minimum. You don't want to give away anything." She bustled him out of her office with a light laugh and a wave of her hand.

 **o0o**

Ron made sure to check in on his Dad who happened to be Head of Muggle Affairs and who already knew that he would be off on a mission and that he would not be around for some time. After leaving the Ministry he headed to his childhood home at the Burrow to wish his Mum farewell. Ginny was still at work but he surmised that he would see her later at home with Harry anyway.

The sun was already low in sky as he walked down the narrow gravel path away from the front door deep in thought with his hand in his pants pocket. His fingers rested on the piece of parchment that was stuffed inside and Ron stopped with a sudden idea in his head. Why wait? He could start right away. At least to determine if he truly had a target to go after. It wouldn't been hard to find once he figured out how to use the tube again he convinced himself before fully making up his mind.

He turned around and sprinted into the small haphazard house, ran up to his old room to throw off his robes, pulled an old tee shirt on over an even older pair of jeans before heading to the floo fireplace in the living room. He disappeared in a flash of green as Molly Weasley rounded into the room with a look of surprise on her face.

Ron exited the Ministry out into busy London. He blinked and took a deep breath before studying the tube map Tess had given him. The Ministry was marked on the map with the nearest underground station at Bank just a block away. Right! He could do this. Tess had taught him good enough he thought. All he had to do was head west on the red line and then north on the black line to Hampstead. He headed to the underground station at Bank and bought himself a day pass before standing and looking around at the various signs as people passed him by.

Taking a well calculated chance he boarded the red line subway going west and waited until he saw his stop at Tottenham Court Road. He quickly crossed to the black line and boarded the tube heading north to Edgware. Only then did he take a seat to relax a bit as his heart had been pounding since coming out on the streets of the busy city. All he had to do now was count down the stops until the subway car came to his stop at Golders Green.

Surprisingly this only took about ten minutes and Ron was a bit amazed at this muggle means of transport which carried hundreds of people through the city without any perceived conflicts or crashes. Travelling under the ground was a big mystery to him and he was always amazed at the technology used by muggles. After his mission in London the year before, he and his Dad would spend hours discussing his adventures and the peculiar things he had learnt. It came as not such a surprise that he had a lot more in common with his Dad than he initially thought. He was genuinely intrigue by the world so previously foreign to him and deep down he even liked being in this strange place even though it scared the living daylights out of him sometimes.

Within a few minutes after Ron exited the station he knew he was in trouble. He knew the address was within walking distance from the station but he had no idea in which direction to head. It was getting dark and nothing on his map looked familiar in the real world. Luckily he noticed a man in uniform and recognized a muggle policeman standing at the corner near the exit where he had just come out of. He was not really pretending when he indicated that he was lost and asked for help. Soon he was heading at a brisk walking speed in the direction that was pointed out by the helpful bobby.

It took him a full half hour but soon he was striding along a wide road flanked by rows of hedges on both sides set in front of well-maintained brick houses. This was obviously a well to do neighbourhood and he made a mental note of it as he stopped in front of his intended destination. The natural light was rapidly fading but he could see that the house was probably empty as no light was present in any of the windows that faced him. As he stood quietly next to a small tree contemplating his next move, the front door of the house next door swung open and an elderly lady shuffled out with a watering can in her hand and began to water her small front garden.

It took Ron a few seconds but he was not about to waste this chance so he quickly moved into the light so as not to frighten the old lady.

"Hello? Excuse me Miss." He stated in the friendliest voice he could muster. The lady looked up startled and it looked like she was seriously thinking about bolting back inside but he carried on quickly.

"I'm really sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you knew when the Grangers normally get home." He asked politely.

On hearing the familiar names the lady visibly relaxed and she let out a small smile.

"Oh sorry dear but they close up the dental clinic late and they usually don't get home until after 8:00." she informed him in a soft voice. Ron had no idea what a dental clinic was but he seized the opportunity to press on.

"Actually I was hoping to catch Hermione at home. I haven't seen her in a long time since leaving school and as I was in London I thought I would look her up. Is she still here?" he asked tentatively.

The friendly neighbour now shuffled a bit more towards him so he moved a few steps forward in order to hear her more clearly.

"Oh no son. She left for medical school a few years ago. She now lives in London." The old lady glanced at the now darkened house next door before continuing. "Bright girl that Hermione. She could have gone anywhere with her brains and such a serious girl too. Wendell and Monica are so proud of her I tell you. She doesn't come home to visit enough but I guess she's the one to be busy with her head in the books." She shook her head a bit sadly. Ron tried to follow her look of sadness as he made another step forward.

"Gosh. I'm only here in London for a few hours and it would be a shame to miss her. Do you by any chance have her address?" he asked hopefully. As the woman shook her head his hopes faded away quickly.

"Sorry dear. I know it's somewhere in Fulham or thereabouts but I….hold on. I just remembered that I have an envelope that her Mum gave me in case of any emergency. You may be in luck. Just wait while I look for it." The woman put down her water can and headed back inside as Ron waited with bated breath. As the nice old lady had said, he could not believe his luck. He just hoped that what he had to do to her after would go as smoothly.

After a short while the door opened and lady handed him a large brown envelope address to Hermione Granger with an address written down under her name:-

Apt #3

294 Fulham Palace Road

London UK

c/o The London Imperial school of Medicine

Charring Cross Hospital Campus

He guessed that the envelope contained copies of official documents to be given to Hermione in case something happened to her parents. It seemed that all the Grangers were highly organized. After copying down the address he handed the envelope to the kind old lady with his left hand and drew his wand from his back pocket with his right.

"Thank you so much Miss. You have no idea how much this means to me." He stated with a smile as he quickly raised his wand and spoke the charm.

The face of the woman went blank for a few seconds and then her eyes fluttered before she swayed on her feet in front of him. He quickly grabbed her arms and held her steady as her eyes popped open in surprise.

"Oh dear. What happened? And who are you." she questioned loudly. Ron let her go and stepped back.

"I was walking along the road and saw you here. You looked a bit sick so I just came to see if you were all right. Maybe you should go inside and rest yeah?" he suggested. The lady nodded her head slowly as she picked up her can and moved to go inside.

"Yes I should go and lie down. Thank you young man." She said absentmindedly as she shut the door behind her.

Ron let his breath out and quickly retreated down the now dark lane feeling a bit drained of energy. He had taken a pretty long shot but he had new information to continue his search. Not wanting to use the underground at this time of the night in his present condition he moved behind a tall hedge and looked around to confirm that no one was able to see him. He was supposed to keep his magic to a minimum but he considered a small memory charm on an innocent lady and apparating out from a muggle street justified at the moment so with a twist and a small pop Ron disappeared into the dark.

 **o0o**

Ron toed off his shoes and walked into the sitting room of the flat that he shared with Harry only to see his sister settled comfortably in his flatmate's lap eating a messy slice of pizza. Ginny Weasley swallowed a piece of pepperoni as she looked up at him.

"Hey Ron. I hear you're heading out into the muggle world on a mission." She greeted him as she wiped her mouth with a large napkin.

Ron glared at Harry even though he knew that it was most likely Ginny did not know too much about the said mission. He threw a cushion at his sister as he sat in the armchair across from them.

"I see your boyfriend has already spilled his guts out and no I can't tell you anything more either." He informed the red haired girl who smiled at Harry before giving him a quick kiss on his lips.

"Well I have my ways to extract the necessary information right Harry?" she winked at her boyfriend. Ron rolled his eyes and threw another cushion which Ginny again dodged.

"Please spare me the details. Is there any of that left?" Ron asked pointing to the slice of pizza in Harry's hand. Harry gentle rid himself of the girl on his lap and nodded in the direction of the kitchen.

"Yeah. Let me get a piece for you." He said standing up and brushing some crumbs from his jeans. Ginny also stood up and knocked his arm.

'You don't have to sneak away you two. I was going to take a shower anyway." She sighed before turning to her brother.

"Take care wherever you are going Ron." She told him seriously but she quickly broke into a smile. "You can take as long as you need. Gives Harry and myself more time alone together." She laughed out as she turned and headed down the corridor.

Ron thought about shouting back a retort but decided to follow Harry into the small kitchen where his friend was already seating at the table with a slice of pizza awaiting him. He took a large bite before sliding into his seat. Harry gave him a few seconds.

"I thought you were coming home after your Mum." He started but Ron did not wait.

"I went to the address in Hampstead." He stated simply as Harry rocked back his chair.

"You went? Merlin Ron! I'm your backup remember? You should have told me." He rounded into his friend. Ron held up both hands.

"I know. I know Harry. I'm sorry but it was a spur of the moment thing. I was on my way home when it suddenly occurred to me that I should just go and see if this person really existed you know?" he tried to explain. "I'm sorry it won't happen again mate." He stated with some conviction.

Harry nodded as he brought his chair flat and put his elbow on the table as Ron took another bite out of his pizza.

"So what did you find out? Does she really live there?" he asked. Ron shook his head and cleared his mouth of food.

"Well the first thing is that I can confirm is that Hermione Granger really does exists." he started. "She however is currently attending medical school in London where she now resides." He explained.

"Please tell me you got her address." Harry said in a pleading voice. His eyes lit up a bit when Ron again nodded.

"Yep. It's an apartment in somewhere called….hold on." He paused to fish out a piece of parchment from his pocket and scanned its contents. "….somewhere called Fulham." He read out.

"That's great Ron. Well done." Harry pepped up as he now stood to get themselves each a bottle of butter beer from the cooler. He handed Ron one and sat down again.

"Did you have any trouble?" he asked knowingly.

"Nah. I got all the info from the neighbour actually. She was most helpful." He now shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I did a memory charm on her afterwards but it went smooth. No one else was around so I think we're good." He informed his backup.

Harry did not look too surprised as he nodded in understanding. It was not the best means but he knew that it was necessary to keep their mission as secret as possible.

'So you're heading out to Fulham in the morning." He stated the obvious. "I'll let Tess know and we can meet up after whenever you get a chance. Who knows…this might be a dead end and you could be back for good by tomorrow." He finished

Ron took a last bite, stood up and chucked his napkin and empty bottle in the bin.

"Well let's hope that tomorrow brings me a little closer to our target…whoever she turns out to be."

 **o0o**

 _ **AN:**_ _I promise that the two will meet in the next chapter but I had to lay down some foundation for the story here. Thanks for reading._


	5. The First Time

**Chapter 4: The First Time.**

It was already approaching lunchtime as Ron alighted out of the Hammersmith Station. He was late for two reasons: First he was late to arise this morning and second he had gotten lost in the underground. Even though the station seemed as easy to find as the one the day before, somehow he had ended up heading in the wrong direction on the blue line. He had realised his error only when he noticed passing the Arsenal stop on his map. It had taken a while to figure out how to switch over but he had eventually gotten back on track and breathe a sigh of relief as he looked around the busy intersection he was now standing in.

He knew Fulham Palace Road was just south of where he standing. Harry had marked the address which was again within easy walking distance. Checking the time on his watch he set out at a steady pace trying to blend in with the other pedestrians. After 10 minutes walking through a busy commercial area along the road, he passed some signs indication the Medical School and then the Charing Cross Hospital and its outer buildings where he assumed the medical students would be either studying or attending classes.

Another five or six blocks, he came to a nice large green park on his left surrounded by some tall trees. Towards the end of the park he came to the address marked as 294 on his right. Turning quickly into the park, he stood behind the nearest tree and looked at the two story brick building which was situated behind a short wall and looked the same as all the others on the street. There were four windows, two on each floor on either side of the central doorway. Judging by the layout, there seemed to be four separate apartments but he couldn't be sure.

As he studied the house across the park, he noticed a small sign in one of the window on the ground floor but he couldn't make out the words from where he stood. Ron waited a few minutes looking around for anything that was out of the ordinary but all seemed quiet to him. His arms were also free from any feeling of alarm and this spurred him to finally cross the road to take a closer look. Checking that his wand was safely tucked away in the narrow sleeve sewn into the inside of his hooded jumper, he approached the outer wall.

Nothing like the direct approach he thought to himself as he opened the outer gate and strode to the door of the building. As Harry had said maybe this was just a false lead and the sooner he found out the sooner he could go home.

Before knocking on the old wooden door, he finally made out the sign on the window which was a notice for an apartment for rent. His luck was holding it seemed as he now had a valid reason to be standing in front of a middle aged woman who had suddenly opened the door with a smile on her face. She was a slight woman with a full head of white hair. She had on a kitchen apron with specks of flour sprinkled all over her it seemed. The smell of baking followed her out the door.

"Yes can I help you young fella?" she asked as she wiped her floured hands in the apron. Ron was shaken from his natural reaction to the smell of food.

"Oh yes. Sorry to disturb you but I noticed your sign in the window and was wondering if the apartment was still available?" he inquired politely. The lady continued with her warm smile.

"Yes. I don't usually have any free apartments this time of year as there are always taken by the medical students but the student who was living there had a sudden death in her family poor dear and she had to leave. It's available but only until the end of summer I'm afraid." She explained. "Would you still be interested?"

Ron truly only wanted information so he continued to show genuine interest. As such he nodded in the affirmative as the lady moved aside and gestured for him to follow her inside. The smell inside was killing him.

"You remind me of my Mum at home. She has red hair but she always has on an apron and she smells nice just like you." He smiled at the kind lady. "Oh my name is Ron Weasley by the way." He held out his hand in greeting. The white haired woman beamed at him.

"Judith Adams is my name and you sure know how to flatter an old lady do you?" she laughed softly as she led him into her flat to get a bunch of keys that was hanging by the door. "Take a seat and I can set you up with some freshly baked scones." She indicated. Ron did not need any convincing mission or not.

After Mrs. Adams pushed a plate full of scones in front of him, she sat down and watched in earnest as he quickly polished off two in a short time.

"So Ron may I ask for what purpose do you need a flat at this time of the year? Are you in the medical school too?" she asked. Ron almost choked on the biscuit in his mouth but he used the moment to collect his thoughts and find a plausible story. Tess had always advised him that when in doubt to stick with the story closest to the truth.

"No. I'm a new recruit here with the police department and I have to do some…research for a new investigation. It won't be long so this place is perfect." He tried to sound knowledgeable but that was the best he could think of at the moment. The lady seemed to accept his explanation as she nodded in apparent understanding. He suspected she really did not fully comprehend his reasoning but it appeared she just wanted to rent her flat.

"Let me show you the place then. It's a nice flat for one person but it has a small galley kitchen and the bedroom is quite bright. One of the students from upstairs even inquired after it but being so late in the year did not make much sense." She rattled on as she opened the flat off the dark hallway and ushered him in with a flourish. Ron used this as the opening he sought.

"So you have students in the rooms upstairs too?" he asked nonchalantly as he pretended to look around the sunlit flat.

'Oh yes. All students. I have two flats upstairs with two rooms in each so I currently have two girls and two boys here. Nice young children all of them." She told him as she entered the bedroom. Ron kept nodding as he tried to look interested. Two girls…ok so far so good. One of them should be the one he sought.

"Are any of them home you think? It would be nice to meet any future housemates if I am to be staying here." He reasoned. Mrs. Adams glances upstairs but answered honestly.

"Oh I'm not too sure. It's exam time soon so they are normally studying at the school library. I heard a couple of them leave earlier but I'm sure one of the girls is still upstairs. Should I go and find out?" she asked with some hesitation and Ron knew he was pushing it a bit far so he changed plans.

"Oh no don't bother them if they are studying. I will meet then later." He informed the landlady who visibly relaxed. She then pointed out the finer details of the flat and informed him of the rental cost and the various rules. He then hurriedly informed her that he needed clearance from his superiors and would return later to give her his final answer. The woman seemed pleased and sure of his return so she quickly gave him her contact information and Ron let himself out with a wave and a pleasant goodbye.

He crossed the road and after looking to make sure that Mrs. Adams was not looking through her window, ducked into the park and positioned himself on a small bench where he had a good view of the building door. His plan was simple. He would wait for either the girl upstairs to make an appearance or for the one currently out to return. Whoever showed up first he would try and find a way to meet them or both if he was lucky. He had a half way back in so he was sure of his strategy.

He contemplated calling Harry as he carried his communication shield on his waist but he had nothing to report as yet so decided against it until later. The only real problem was that he was starving and thinking of those delicious scones only made things worse. He should have nicked a few for later he mused unhappily. Settling himself on the hard bench he went through a few scenarios in his head if he had to meet the girls and uncover what he needed to know.

Needless to say, after five minutes Ron promptly fell fast asleep….

 **o0o**

The noisy laugh of children playing roused Ron with a jump. Shit! He had fallen asleep! He glanced at his watch and nearly fell over as he stood up suddenly. Bloody hell! It was late afternoon and he had no idea who had left or who had returned to the building across the road. Stretching himself to get his blood flowing, he looked around to get his bearings. As expected, a few children were playing in the grassy centre of the park, a couple of people were sitting on benches like himself and a few were either walking or jogging around for exercise. A girl was actually riding a bike on the pathway with a load of books balanced on the handlebars in front of her. Some people were just relaxing under a tree or talking while walking through the park. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

As he turned back to glance at the house his heart gave a jump. A boy and girl had just closed the outer gate and were proceeding up the sidewalk on the other side of the road. Merlin a couple! Of all things! Well that was interesting. He waited until they crossed over the road on his side before making to move through the park to follow closely behind. He made a quick step onto the pathway and…BANG!

His knee exploded in pain as something crashed into him! All he saw for a few seconds were books flying in the air and a lot of hair all around before he crumbled to the ground. Holding his knee, he frantically tried to rise and soon discovered that it was the girl on the bicycle who had run into him. She had a load of bushy brown hair and was also trying to stand and she looked…hurt?…no…that look on her face was definitely…anger?

Ron peered towards the couple he was supposed to be following but they had disappeared. Shit! This could not be happening he thought.

"What were you thinking you absolute moron! Don't you know to look before you step into the way you stupid idiot! You are going to have to pay for my bicycle I have you know!" he heard a shrill voice behind him. His loss of the sighted targets coupled with the pain in his knee and his hunger made his anger rile up immediately. He spun around to face the girl.

"You were the one who crashed into me! You should be looking ahead of where you are going? Oh wait…how could you possibly have seen anything when you have a stack of books in front of your face!" he countered easily and a bit loudly.

The girl sputtered as stands of her hair blew into her mouth. She was a slight girl with a nice looking face…if it wasn't glaring at him.

"How dare you blame me! It was your fault! And look at my bicycle! Oh God how am I to fix this now and at such a bad time." She wailed as she limped towards the bicycle which lay next to a tree. He wasn't too sure if it was just him or the tree or possibly both but the front wheel of the bicycle was bent beyond repair with the chain twisted off and the handlebars and saddle askew. It actually was seeing her limp that cooled him down a bit. He was now caught between helping the girl and going off to find the couple on his mission.

"Look I'm sorry but I have to be somewhere in a hurry. Are you all right?" He asked as he bent to retrieve some books that had fallen near to him. He was genuinely surprised when the girl strode over and grabbed the books from his hands in a huff.

"I don't care where you have to be and leave my books alone!" she shouted. 'What I want to know is what are you going to do about my bicycle?" she demanded more than asked. His anger surfaced again.

"I told you it was not my fault or don't you hear well!" he shouted back. "I was just asking about your foot but if that is the attitude you are talking then I guess I will be leaving!" he spun on his heels and although his knee was killing him, he limped away as fast as he could leaving the stuttering girl behind.

His guilt finally caught up with him after about 15 minutes and a good few blocks away but he had a mission to continue and he had blown the only lead he had for the whole day due to some crazy girl on a bicycle. Just his flying luck he deemed. He knew he had lost the couple anyway. He could make his way to the school buildings and hope to find them or go back and wait again but it was now getting dark and he was famished. He now hoped that the girl he had left in the park was truly ok but he consoled himself with the fact that if she seemed quite capable of shouting at him then she most likely was fine. There was something about her that nagged him but…he was hungry.

Seeing a small Chinese restaurant at the corner of the street he was standing, he decided to eat before making any further decisions while his head was cloudy with hunger. He needed to rest his knee anyway as it was still throbbing with pain and there was no better remedy than a full bowl of fry rice, chinese fry chicken and stir fried vegetables to make him feel better.

As luck would have it, as Ron was paying for his well-deserved meal he spotted the same couple walking down the now dark side street across from the tiny restaurant. He threw some money on the table and hurried out just as they turned into another dark side street which was probably a short cut to the apartment building. Panic struck him as he waited for the traffic to pass before following them down the street.

As his eyes became accustomed to the dimly lit street he made out the two people just ahead of him and hurried behind them. As he watched them pass a narrow alley he was momentarily stunned to see two other dark shapes suddenly jump out and pull the couple into the darkness with a muffled scream reaching his ears. His first reaction was that the death eaters had discovered his target and had struck but as he peeked cautiously around the corner of the stone building, he realised that this was probably a muggle robbery or worse as he made out the gleam of a knife and the absence of any dark robes.

He instinctively reached for his wand but silently cursed the idea as he remembered his whereabouts and his instruction to limit the use of magic especially in front of his target who was now on the ground with her partner cowering under the threat of the two robbers whose backs were towards him.

Without much further thought and moving with practiced speed he silently approached the one holding the knife, grabbing his wrist with his right hand and with a jerk twisted it behind his back as he pulled and spun the heavy man around. In the same motion he struck with his left and finished with a knee to the stomach as the knife fell to the ground with a clang. God! His knee hurt!

Without stopping he swerved away from an attempted blow from the second man and struck forward with his open right palm against his windpipe. As the man gasped for breath he raised his left foot and delivered a straight powerful kick to his chest sending him sprawling to the ground. Breathing hard he picked up the knife and watched as both men struggled to rise.

"Go! Now! Before I really mess you both up." He ordered with a frightful shout. The men barely hesitated before running off into the night. Ron threw away the knife and turned to the couple who were holding each other with the young man trying to console his partner.

'Are you guys ok? Are you injured?" he asked with a forward step.

The boy looked at his female friend and asked a silent question. The girl had caught herself somewhat and nodded her head.

"Yes…I think I'm fine. I'm all right Jeff." She stated with a slight hiccup as she turned to Ron.

"I…we…Gosh we can't thank you enough mister. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along." She told him with wide eyes as she pulled her friend closer. Ron smiled and ran his hands through his red hair.

"Don't worry about it and please don't call me mister. My name is Ron Weasley and I was glad to help. Are you sure you two are ok? He asked again as he bent to rub his ever sore knee.

"Thanks to you yes." The boy answered. "And my name is Jeff and this is Liz. We are the ones who should be asking if _you_ all right?" He smiled in return.

"Yeah it's just my knee." He replied. It was not a good day for his old injury for sure. He also just realised with some despair that the girl's name was Liz and not the one he was searching for. Well it was one down with one to go he reasoned. The girl immediately let go of her companion and gave him a look of concern.

"Gosh! I'm so sorry. Is there anything we can do?" she asked as he straightened up in a hurry.

"No. I'm really fine. It's just an old thing and somebody already ran into it earlier. Not my lucky day eh?" he chuckled out as he now shook his left hand which had suddenly begun to burn. Liz immediately grabbed it and exclaimed loudly.

"Oh my god! You're bleeding!" she gasped as she looked at his bruised hand. Rom withdrew it and wiped it on his jeans.

"Don't worry. It's ok. I've seen a lot worse." He tried to placate the girl but she tugged on his jacket and led him along the road with a huff.

"Come with us. I'm sure Mrs. Adams or Hermione will have some stuff that we can put on this. We're medical students for heaven's sake. Surely this is the least we can do. Hermione usually studies late with us in the library but we took a day off and she wanted to come home early anyway." She informed him but Ron's mind was now abuzz with the mention of the other girl's name.

"Uh…Hermione. Does she live with you guys too? He innocently inquired before he realised his opportunity. "Wait. Is Mrs. Adams your landlady? I saw her today about the empty flat downstairs. Is that where you live?" he tried to sound surprised. The two students stopped and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yes! This is great! Are you thinking about taking it and are you also a student?" Jeff asked as they started moving again.

"No. I'm actually a new recruit to the police department. I'm only here for a short while and I need a place to stay." He again repeated his story but left it very vague. It was Liz who chipped in.

"That explains how you handled those guys back there. Gee I hope you will stay Ron. Hermione and I are roommates and Jeff and Dillon live across from us even though Jeff is always by me." She offered with a slight blush. Jeff nodded as he turned to him.

"Dillion is a right prat anyway so it works for us." He explained with a smirk as he held onto Liz's hand.

As they continued down the road, Ron quickly ran through all the facts in his head. It was obvious to him that these two were clearly muggles through and through. If Hermione Granger was the other girl then it meant that most probably she really did not know of her magical heritage. Why else would she room with a muggle? If she knew and was trying to hide it, then surely she would have tried to keep to herself. He was going to have to determine which it was and the only way to find out was to remain close. He only hoped that she would be as friendly and approachable as these two.

Ron was still distracted by the thought of finally meeting up with his intended target and what he needed to say and do that he hardly registered them entering the house, walking through the dark hallway and climbing the steps to the upstairs flat. Before he could gather himself Liz had thrown open the door and yelled on her way in.

"Hermione? You would never guess what happened to us! We were nearly robbed! But we were saved by a nice young man whose hand I need to tend to. Are you here? Hermione?" she continued to yell as she made her way to what Ron presumed was the washroom.

Ron hesitantly entered the flat and stood near the door with Jeff. Another door from the inside suddenly swung open and a girl with bushy hair strode quickly out as she looked around. She came to a stop and stared directly at him with a familiar look.

"Oh bloody hell!" Ron whispered to himself under his breath….

 **o0o**


	6. The Plan

**Chapter 5: The Plan.**

"Oh bloody hell!" Ron whispered to himself under his breath….it was the girl on the bicycle and this was so not going to be good.

"What is he doing here!" was the first shriek. "He broke my bike!" she was now pointing at him.

Ron warily leaned into Jeff and whispered out of the side of his mouth.

"She was the one that ran into my knee earlier." He said quietly but kept his eyes on the girl in front of him. He strongly felt that silence was his best option at the moment.

"Are you here to finally do what you should have done earlier before running away like a frightened child!" was the latest accusation.

For some ungodly reason, even though he was not as hungry and in any great pain, Ron felt his anger rise to the surface. How could this…this nightmare of a so called…maybe witch cause him to easily lose his cool he would never really know? He had a reputation as being a bit of a hot head but he had learnt to control his temper over the years through his work, a lot of introspection and by trying to focus on the greater good. It was only the overriding fact that the girl in front of him was the object of his mission that kept his anger in check.

"I did not run away. As I told you earlier I had something to do that was important. Maybe you did not hear me due to the fact that you were shouting off and not listening to a thing I was saying." He tried to keep his voice even and controlled but that only got her more riled up.

"You left me with a broken bike and a twisted ankle you inconsiderate lout!" she continued on but was interrupted by Liz returning from the washroom who glanced from one to the other in surprise with a cloth and a bottle in her hands

"You two know each other?" she asked in surprise. Ron sighed loudly and waved his arm in resignation.

"She was the one who ran into my knee earlier in the park next door." He explained warily as Hermione rested her arm on her hip in a defiant stance.

"And he was the one who stepped into my way without looking and now I don't have a bicycle. I will now have to walk to classes and from the library and waste precious time right before exams." Hermione stated as if it was the end of the world to her.

Ron rightly new that he had to get this situation under some control before it all spun away from him but Liz was the one who pleaded his case.

"Hermione, he saved me and Jeff from some horrible men who would have robbed and hurt us. If it wasn't for Ron heaven knows what could have happened. I'm sorry for your bike but Ron has hurt his hand in the fight with those ruffians and I think his knee is really bothering him so I would appreciate it if you could please give it a rest for a moment so I can see about him." She stated before putting him to sit while tending to his hand.

Hermione looked a bit ashamed for just a second as she relaxed from her rigid stance to stare at the ground. She appeared…different.

"Well I guess…we should be thankful he was around." She managed to get out as Ron used the opportunity to try and mend the rift that had somehow formed between them.

"Look I'm really sorry about your bike. I have a friend who I can ask to take a look at it ok? I'm also sorry you have to walk to and from school now especially knowing what happen to your friends tonight. I feel really bad about it I do. Can we just agree that maybe we were both partly at fault? He asked with his best lopsided grin.

If Ron thought that he was making any headway he was sorely mistaken as Hermione Granger seemed to dismiss his apologies as she only nodded imperceptibly before moving closer to look at him.

"Is your knee really hurting you still? I can take a look at it if you want." she asked in a softer voice taking him by surprise. He shook his head as his mouth lagged behind his brain. He turned away from staring at her.

"It's just an old injury not to worry. It'll be fine once I…ice it down for a while." He informed her honestly as it really was the only way to control the swelling. For some reason it always worked better than any magic he could perform on it. She nodded again before sitting down on a small chair across from Liz and himself on the couch.

As he watched her out of the corner of his eye, Ron suddenly felt a warm sensation brush over the whole of his arm and inadvertently jerked his hand which was being attended to. Liz apologized in thinking she had hurt him but now he knew for sure that the girl across from him was indeed and in fact a witch…even though it left him confused.

He knew this sensation. He had only ever felt it a few times and only with certain close people he had a strong bond with. His parents, Harry and Ginny and recently George. No one else, not even Lavender. It was a very subtle feeling and one that he had only recently recognized. Now here it was and he just knew that it was due to one Hermione Granger.

There was something about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He could have sworn he had glimpsed a lighter gentler side to go with her volatile nature just a few moments ago but he was still not too sure of anything. Maybe she really was a latently powerful witch he reasoned which could explain these feelings in his arm at the moment.

The awkward silence was suddenly broken by Jeff who slipped a beer into his free hand and plonked himself on the floor next to Liz.

"Man those were some moves back there I tell you." He pointed out to Hermione. "Ron here is with the police department and he sure knew how to take out those prats. He just came out of nowhere and wham...they were down like potato sacks." He emphasized his story by punching the air.

The new girl furrowed her dark eyebrows and leaned a bit forward. She was obviously in deep thought and Ron was again taken by her looks.

"Yes isn't it a highly strange coincidence that he appears to save you both just a few hours after he runs into me…outside our residence?" she questioned to no one in particular before gazing directly at him. "What exactly did you say your job was?" she was asking him now.

Ron was actually affronted by her insinuations. Ok yes he _had_ somewhat lied to get into the house earlier and yes he _was_ actually watching the house when he was run over by her but that was an accident. An honest accident…and yes he _was_ following the couple, but beating up those two assholes was certainly not planned. Before he could retort Liz had dropped his hand and turned to Hermione.

"It's not like that Hermione. He was actually here earlier to…" Ron did not let her finish as his irritation got the better of him again. He glared at the young woman across from him. _What in hell was the matter with her?_

"Are you saying I deliberately set those two men on your friends so I could appear to save them? And are you suggesting that I sacrificed my knee deliberately so I get to meet you before running off? Does that make any sense to you? Or are you just trying to piss me off again?" he ranted.

She was instantly on her feet and back into her stance.

"I was just asking a reasonable question. That is no cause for you to get so defensive or maybe you really are hiding something?" she threw at him as he too stood gently on his feet. Liz and Jeff moved closer to each other. Ron was actually enjoying this.

"Are you always this suspicious of everyone new you meet? Why the hell would anyone want to get to know you if you keep accusing them of ulterior motives?" he stated flatly with a smirk that seemed to push her over.

"I certainly do not want to know you…whoever you are! In fact I hope to never see you again!" she shouted at him.

"Well that's just too bad because I suspect we might be in each other's way for a while unfortunately." He shot back quickly as she sputtered a bit.

"What?...I certainly have no idea what you mean." She stuttered out but Ron was on a roll and not thinking quite clearly.

"Because I will be living in the flat downstairs…that's why ha!"

 **o0o**

Ron and Harry were having their morning coffee in the small kitchen of their flat as they waited for Tess to show up. A lot had happened the day before and a lot had to be planned for the way forward although Ron did not have a clue how to exactly proceed following the events that had transpired. After his foolhardy and presumptuous announcement last evening, he had quickly said his goodbyes and left the three occupants with completely opposite reactions. He had told Harry everything and dreaded the thought of repeating the events to Tess but she would be the one to sort of the details.

A knock at the door announced their guest and soon another cup of coffee was on the table in front of her. She took a huge gulp before eyeing Ron who was looking a little paler than usual this morning.

"So Auror Weasley. Were you successful in making contact with the target? And how are plans proceeding to get close enough to ascertain if she is the one concerning your mission?" she asked with an official smirk.

Harry chuckled loudly behind his coffee mug.

"You could say that they both made contact with each other but future plans may be a bit difficult seeing that she kinda hates him." He snickered out as Ron glared at him.

"Thanks Harry. Good to know you find all this amusing." He answered before taking a well-deserved sip of his coffee. Tess looked at the two of them and sighed out loudly.

"OK start from the beginning and don't leave anything out." She ordered.

Ron proceeded to recount the day before in as much detail that he could spare without affecting the facts. It still sounded just as crazy the second time he was going over the story but he ended on a hopeful note.

"…the good thing though is that I am now almost sure she is a special witch _and_ I can be close enough to monitor and make sure she truly is the one we…are looking for." He finished without giving up too much information.

Tess had taken another gulp and was silently thinking as she assessed the situation. She suddenly stared at Ron.

"How exactly do you know that she is a powerful witch?" she sprung on him. Ron went a bit wide eyed as he struggled for a suitable answer.

"Well…I erm…it's just that I have a strong feeling that's all but I'm sure I'm right." He explained feebly. Tess was now frowning at him.

'I know you are not telling me everything but I trust your…instincts…if that is what you are calling it." She informed him. Ron suspected that Tess knew something about his strange ability to garner external senses as she had been with him enough times on his last mission to detect his peculiar skill. He moved on quickly to deflect his slip.

"Look regardless of how powerful she may or may not be, she's the one I have to keep an eye on so what are we going to do about my cover and my living arrangements?" he returned to the relevant matters at hand.

Tess finished her coffee and stood up. "Ok you stay put and get packed. I have to get approval from the Minister and the Department Head for your…special arrangements. I have a lot to do but I'll be back later this afternoon." She gave his arm a pat and left in a hurry. Ron and Harry were soon seated again.

'So what about that queen witch person?" Ron enquired of his friend. "Any headway there?"

"We have a few leads but they are so thin I'm not sure we will get anywhere. Our best bet is to try and catch one of the few death eaters who actually knows something." Harry replied but did not sound very enthusiastic. "Something is happening we are sure of it but we just can't put our fingers on the big picture as yet. She's very careful whoever she is." He finished.

Ron leaned back into his chair and folded his arms behind his head as he closed his eyes for a brief second.

"You know what I said about this Hermione Granger being a complete nightmare and a hot head with a lot of hair on it…well she also seems to be just a normal muggle girl going to school, studying and trying to do well in her exams. Even if she is special, how can she be expected to defeat this new evil person when she has never even done a single spell? She doesn't even know our world and our customs. That alone will be a big shock to her." He mused out loud to Harry who nodded in silent understanding.

"That's why you have to make sure that you stay close to her Ron. If this thing goes haywire then you will be the only one who can help and protect her. So firstly I would seriously try to stop arguing with her long enough to actually get to know her." He said seriously and kicked his friend under the table to stress his point.

"I Know. I know. It's just that she has this way about her that…" Ron sighed as he gave up that line of thought. "Don't worry I'll figure out something. Maybe Tess will have some suggestions?" he said hopefully as they both stood.

"I have to report in. I'll see you later when Tess gets here and hopefully we will have a plan by then." Harry gave him a wave before heading out.

 **o0o**

It was late in the evening when Harry returned with Tess this time. Ron had used the time to catch up on some lost sleep and he was in the process of packing when they both entered his room.

"Oh my God how do you find anything in here?" Tess exclaimed as she looked around his messy room.

"Hey I have a system so don't touch anything. I'm almost done." He said as he zipped up the black duffle bag on his bed and grabbed his knapsack off the floor. "Let's go outside." He finished.

As Tess led the way down the hall Harry turned to him.

"Are you carrying your second wand? Just in case?" He asked. Ron gave him a quick nod.

"Yeah I'm taking it but I'm not wearing it. Might be too risky so I just packed it away." He replied.

Ron had acquired a shorter 8 inch wand off a questionable individual who collected illegal and unregistered magical items and had just held on to it without filing the required paperwork. It was not deliberate on his part, he had just forgotten to do it initially and over time he started to use it as a backup in the field strapped to his shin. Harry was not too comfortable with it at first but it had saved them once before and he had not questioned it since.

Carrying a long thin 11 inch wand into the muggle world was not an easy thing to do as Ron soon found out on his mission last year. There was no way to conceal it in his waistband or pocket without it being in the way or being too obtrusive. In the end he had asked his Mum to sew a special carrying sleeve into the inside front of all his jumpers and jackets which worked well for him. He could still access it quickly and it was hidden from muggle eyes. There was still a problem when he was indoors without a covering but he tended to wear light jumpers and either kept them on or in his hand.

Tess was already sitting on the living room couch as the boys made their way over to separate chairs. Her long black hair was in a bit of disarray with some strands falling into her eyes. She brushed them away and put another envelope onto the centre table as she gave them her official look.

"Right first things first. Luckily there is a Metropolitan Police Academy and station just north of the Hammersmith tube station within walking distance. It's on Shephards Bush Rd. so you have to get familiar with it. Your cover is that you are doing a special research project and that you are using the Academy as your base. If anyone asks just say it is classified information. Keep it simple ok?" she stressed to Ron as he nodded.

"I have contacted your landlady…a Mrs. Adams and have made arrangements for the short term lease of the flat for two months in the first instance. I hope you can wrap this up in that time but we can extend it afterwards. The rent has already been paid so you don't have to worry about it." She tapped the envelope in front of her as she continued.

"Everything is in here. Your paper work and the rental lease and a few other items. There is a map of the area for you to study, you should get to know the medical school and its surroundings in detail. I have included a school ID pass for you to get around…you could always say that its part of your secret research. The pass allows you entry into most school areas including the library." She concluded. Ron was truly stunned at her efficiency.

"Wow Tess you are amazing!" he genuinely commended her. "I could give you a hug but you would probably let me have it so I'll just say thanks and job well done!" he gushed before a thought suddenly popped into his head. He stood quickly and turned to Harry.

"Hey that library pass gave me an idea. It's a long shot but what have I got to lose? As I always say, when your choices are limited there's nothing better than the direct approach." He vaguely explained before rushing to gather his bags leaving Harry and Tess a bit shocked.

Before they knew it, Ron had hurriedly said his goodbyes promising to contact them as soon as he had settled. In some astonishment, they stood silently gaping at each other in the middle of the sitting room as Ron disapparated away with a pop.

 **o0o**


	7. The Start over

_**AN: As you may have noticed I have been updating quite regularly in an effort to get Part I finished by Christmas. However after Fridays update, I will only be posting once a week during the holidays. For those who are curious, even though this story is in four parts, there are only about 30 chapters in all with a little more action in Parts II and III. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers.**_

 **Chapter 6: The Start Over.**

Hermione Granger sat at the end of the long library table with various books and notes placed neatly around her. She was supposed to be studying for her third year exams but was not in the best of moods by a longshot with her irritability manifested by the continuous bouncing of her legs and the biting of her bottom lip. She was peeved and frustrated due to a number of reasons which were bottled up inside her making it actually worse for her studying.

Firstly, she did not understand why she was here with the usual group at this time of the semester. She always studied better on her own after all. That was just how she always worked. She did not mind doing the odd team assignment or working together on a particular difficult subject but when it came to the end of year exams, she always preferred to study alone at her own pace. It was Anthony who had practically dragged her along trying to convince her otherwise. She wanted to clobber him.

That was the source of her second irritation. Who the heck was he to tell her what was best for her in the first place. Yes he was a friend of long standing but who gave him the right to try and change her ways. After all this time and he still seemed not to know her at all. She was upset with herself for letting him get his way. She wanted to clobber him.

Thirdly, she was behind in her carefully calculated study schedule. Everything was proceeding according to her plans until the day before and now she had to make up for lost time and it frazzled her. What made her even more annoyed was the fact that this delay was entirely due to another person and that one other person was himself an annoying, insufferable, infuriating smug prat. That was the biggest reason for her current frustration. She wanted to clobber him.

The tall lanky smug prat was still on her mind when she was supposed to have all her thoughts concentrated on her exams. From the time she had met him…well ploughed into him really, she had felt something peculiar about the red haired man. Of course at the time she was rightly incensed by the circumstances surrounding their brief first meeting but…she had felt something and when he had appeared in the doorway of her flat, she felt it again…or thought she had. It was all so confusing. At first she concluded that it was related to her anger but now she had her doubts.

Hermione had always had a bit of a temper but she had learnt from an early age to keep it constantly under control as sometimes strange things would happen to accompany her angry bursts. Lights flickering, sudden strong gusts of air and even objects shaking and moving around. Sometimes she would get a foreign sensation deep within her and it had frightened her and her parents, so she quickly learnt to diffuse her anger in various ways. Swimming and riding her bicycle were two main channels of relaxation but her favourite pastime was reading. Dancing like a lunatic in the privacy of her room also helped but she was too embarrassed to even think about it. Her parents attributed her extraordinary high intelligence with these occurrences but she had never agreed completely with it.

She still tended to keep things bottled up within her and at times like this right before final exams were always the worst, hence her somewhat irrational behaviour towards the stranger who she had met twice the day before. Her anger had gotten out of hand but she had gotten an inkling of that strange inner sensation which she first attributed to her outbursts but now…she wondered if the stranger Ron Weasley had a part to play in her confusion.

Hermione finally straightened up, pushed her hair to the side and took a fresh breath of air. She should be studying her work and not thinking about some random person who she had no reason to be seeing anytime soon no matter where he lived. She reached for the nearest book as the chair across from her was pulled out and someone plunked themselves heavily down in a heap. She jerked her head up.

"So how long will you be here you think?" Ron Weasley asked with a lopsided grin plastered to his face. The book fell loudly back onto the desk as she jumped a bit in her seat.

'What are you doing here!" she hissed through clenched teeth but the red haired boy turned and smiled at the two people on the other end of the table.

"Hi Jeff and Liz. Nice to see you again." He greeted pleasantly as they exchanged waves.

"I asked…" she started loudly before dropping her voice. "What are you doing here and how did you get in the library!" she demanded with an annoyed glare now.

Ron Weasley leaned forward a bit and rested his elbows on the table as he stared at her earnestly. She could now she that his eyes were a bright shade of blue that shone in the overhead light. She was distracted by it for a fraction of a second.

"Well I have been thinking. The fact is that I am _partly_ responsible for your current predicament of not having a proper and safe means of transport, so I have taken it upon myself to personally ensure your safety and escort you back home whenever you are finished in this fine room of learning." He espoused as he sat back and folded his arms on his chest.

She was so flabbergasted by that statement that her brain froze for a moment and nothing seemed to come to her mouth. Before she could unstick her mind and gather herself, the person next to her spoke up in an irritated voice.

"Hermione is everything all right? Is this man bothering you by any chance?" he asked as he looked at the man across from her.

"Oh sorry. My name is Ron Weasley and unfortunately I was the one who was partially at fault in destroying her bicycle and I feel kinda obligated to walk her back home safely you know. And you are?" he finished with a quirk of his furry eyebrow. Hermione was about to object but was again interrupted.

"My name is James Howell the Third and Hermione is quite capable of finding her way home without your help." He stated with a huff.

She was now incensed with the whole situation and opened her mouth to tell both of them off as the sixth member of the table let out a small shriek.

"Oooh that is _so_ thoughtful and a bit romantic don't you agree guys?" the girl next to Jeff gushed out. "I don't know about Hermione but you can walk me home anytime sweetheart." She finished with a wink as Jeff turned to Ron with a smile.

"This is Amy Collins by the way and this is the guy that saved us from being robbed. The one we spoke about." He informed the blond girl and Anthony next to her. Before anyone could speak again she smacked her palm loudly on the table making everyone in the room turn to her but at the moment she didn't care in the least. She stared directly at the man across from her.

"Now listen! No one is walking me home and no one is obligated to ensure my safety. I don't know what you are up to but I can take care of myself and I will certainly not entertain the idea of you or anyone else telling me what I can and cannot do…so leave me alone." she finally rattled out with her chest heaving.

She watched as the tall young man sized her up with his damn blue eyes before running his large hands through his unruly long red hair. He sighed softly and nodded slightly as he raised his hands defensively.

"Ok ok. I'm sorry to make you upset. That was not my intention." He uttered softly in a voice that almost threw her for a loop. "Can you at least promise me that you will stick to the main roads on the way home? I will leave peacefully if you do." He stated sincerely in the same voice as he waited for a response.

For some reason Hermione was touched by his sincerity and thoughtfulness no matter how rude and presumptuous he had been just a few moments ago. Without warning she felt the stirring of that odd feeling inside her and again her conflicting thoughts about this man rose to her head. Something about him was not right but she knew deep down he was not a danger to her. Without thinking she nodded at him and he smiled at her before standing.

"Right then. That's all I can ask for." He told her before saying his goodbyes and walking out of the room.

Hermione immediately turned to her friends with a serious face and a knowing look.

"If anyone says anything about this I will pack up my stuff and move to another table. We have serious work to do so the quicker we get back to it the better…please." She ended before grabbing the same book that had fallen and began to read.

…or tried to read. She knew that it was mostly hopeless now. She really did feel to move to another table so that she could figure out what had just happened. He had appeared out of nowhere and left just as abruptly leaving her in a state of confusion as usual where he was concerned. Shaking her head clear, she chose something easy to review and spent the next hour in relative quiet as her friends acceded to her request and left her mostly alone without broaching the subject of the tall stranger.

Soon it was just Anthony left by her side as the others departed for the night with various excuses. He was one of the first people she had met at the school and they had remained friends throughout the three years here. He came from a family of doctors and he was not only suited to the profession by past heritage but also by his disposition. It was one of the reasons she had liked his company. He was smart, serious and focused on his studies just like her. He was also a bit of a bore but she had never minded as his other character traits more than made up for it. He was also quite clingy and at times like this she wished he would have left with the others but Anthony was the only one who stayed longer than her in the library. She felt him looking at her.

"You know after these exams we should look at taking a trip somewhere. I think we deserve it don't you?" he asked as he returned to his book.

Hermione was not too sure if he was referring to the group or her specifically but either way the prospect of spending more time than necessary with him was not that appealing to her but she refrained from answering his question.

"I think we should just concentrate on the exams first Anthony then we can take it from there." She vaguely replied. "Right now my brain is just about bursting. Maybe I will call it a night." She quickly packed up her bag without making any eye contact and hurriedly said goodbye before rushing out of the library.

The fresh air out on the streets felt liberating and she was actually glad for the walk home. She deliberately chose the busy main road back and bit back a smile as she remembered her promise to Ron. She knew his name but nothing else about him and she thought back to her veiled accusation the day before. He had appeared in her life through sheer happenstance and luck and she wondered silently about life's ability to throw people together. There was still that nagging question mark about him but she brushed it off as she strolled along the sidewalk.

"So I bet you're hungry am I right?" she jumped as he appeared by her side. This man was going to be the death of her. He had a small box in his hand and that lopsided grin on his face again. He wore a plain white tee shirt under his open hooded jumper and a pair of slim jeans that fit his long lanky legs. His dark red hair was slightly ruffled and his blue eyes still had that shine under the street lights. He was an attractive man no doubt but at the moment she was again more flabbergasted by his approach.

"Are you completely stubborn and deaf at the same time? I told you I can walk home by myself. There is no need to escort me and I would prefer if you left me alone." She glared at him but his smile remained.

"Ah but you see I am not escorting anyone. I am just heading home and it just happens that we live in the same building so all I am really doing is walking home just like you." He explained glibly as he handed her the box in his hands.

"Here hold this for a second." He instructed and she instinctively reached for it. With one fluid movement of his hands he pulled her bag strap off her shoulder and deftly transferred her bag to his shoulder and continued walking without breaking a stride.

"Good, now in that box are the most delicious meat pies I have ever had apart from my Mums so please help yourself to a few." He told her in a most matter of fact voice. Hermione was so stunned that she had to stop and take note of her senses.

"What are you doing may I ask?" she cried out in the middle of the sidewalk as she looked up at him. He truly was tall. Ron opened the box in her hand and her stomach rumbled involuntarily as the smell hit her nose.

"I'm trying to feed you. I have it from good sources that you may not have eaten anything for the afternoon and since I have already consumed four of those beauties you should eat one or two before you feint on the way home." He quipped with that damn smile as she stood with her mouth gaping and her stomach gurgling embarrassingly. He pushed the box closer to her nose.

"Tell you what. If you eat some of those I will not bother you again so go ahead…please? If not I will have to eat them and you will be responsible for getting me fat." he gave her a pleading look and despite her best intentions she let out a sudden laugh. His smile only got wider.

"You are an impossible prat." She tried to look stern but reached for one of the savoury pies and took a bite. As they continued walking Hermione soon had eaten two of the pies. They were really good and she was indeed hungry. This man was slowly eroding her resolve but it felt nice at the moment.

"So was that your boyfriend back there in the library?" …so much for the nice moment she told herself.

"I thought you said you would not bother me again?" she reminded him with a sneer.

"Yep but I didn't say I wouldn't talk again. Big difference. It's a good thing you are not studying law." He chuckled to himself. "And asking a reasonable question is not bothering is it?" he looked at her.

"That was not a reasonable question. Firstly, it is somewhat inappropriate and secondly it is none of your business. I don't even know you." She shot at him. Ron stepped back as his grin faded and she suddenly hoped he was not offended by all her catty remarks for the night.

"You're right. You don't know anything about me. Sorry." He said seriously. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Ronald B. Weasley but you can never call me by my full name and you can never ask about my middle name at risk of death. Son of Arthur and Molly Weasley. Last of six brothers and brother to one baby sister." He rattled off in a flourish.

"Goodness you have six siblings? That must be quite an experience." She exclaimed but his eyes clouded over a bit.

"Well it's now five actually. I lost one of my brothers a few years ago." He explained solemnly.

"I'm sorry Ron." She quickly said as they both remained silent for a few seconds.

"So what are you doing here in Fulham? Jeff and Liz mentioned something about the police department?" she asked glad to steer away from the previous subject.

"Um…yes I work for a special branch of the police doing research. I graduated less than a year ago but I have always been…interested in this field. So I'm here based at the Academy up on Sheppards Bush Rd. doing research for a special project. Oh and that's why I have a pass to your library." He explained a bit hesitantly. She was not completely convinced but she was willing to let it rest for now and she was also a bit intrigued.

"I like research too. Does it have something to do with crime and medical conditions?" she ventured widely. He moved closer to her again as they walked side by side.

"Well it does relate to crime and certain…conditions but that's all I can tell you." He smiled softly as she nodded in understanding. She was actually enjoying the warmth of him next to her as they walked in comfortable silence. She heard him clear his throat quietly.

"Listen I'm sorry for saying…what I said about you yesterday. I understand your suspicion about me I really do. I just hope you can…well…give me a fair chance to get to know me that's all I ask." He turned to her in hope. She had some confessing to do also.

"And I'm also sorry for the way I behaved. I never truly thanked you for saving my friends and yes maybe we were both partly to blame for our…accident." She smiled at him. "And even though you seem to annoy me constantly I think we both should start over so it's my turn to introduce myself. My name is Hermione Granger and it's nice to meet you." She extended her hand in greeting as his lopsided grin appeared on his pale face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Hermione and I will try my best not to annoy you…constantly." He laughed as he gently took her hand for a brief shake. His warm touch only made her more comfortable in his company.

His recent promise was however short-lived by the next statement out of his mouth.

"Even though you never answered my earlier question I'm hoping that it's not true." He commented airily and even though she knew who he was referring to she pretended not to understand. She was feeling too relaxed to fret herself up again.

"I have no idea what you are on about." She stated flatly.

"Oh come on Hermione! He has a number in his name and he wears a tie when he doesn't even have to! And he has those shifty eyes that you can't always trust." He pointed out with a serious face and she had to laugh out again.

"Right. And I should instead trust the opinion of someone who I met just over a day ago. Makes sense." She chuckled at him as he shut his mouth for a moment.

"Yeah I see your point there. Ok disregard my last statement. I'll get back to you on that after you get to know me better." He grinned as they came to the front door of their building. She shook her head and her face again erupted in a smile. Honestly she could not remember the last time she felt so relaxed.

As she moved inside to go up the steps, he paused at the door of his flat and touched her arm.

"Hey listen. I _am_ sorry about your bike but I have to admit that I'm not too sorry after all as it allowed me the opportunity to walk home with some company." He smiled in the dim light. "Would you mind if every now and then I can maybe…walk home at a particular time so that I can have some company again?" He asked in a roundabout way.

She made a few steps up before pausing and turning to him with her smile.

"I can't stop you from walking home when you want to Ron and as long as you promise not to bother me too much…it would be nice to have some company again." She told him before running up the stairs to her flat.

After taking a shower, she climbed into her bed and settled down quickly. She drifted off to a peaceful sleep with thoughts of red hair and the smell of hot meat pies.

 **o0o**


	8. The Two Talks

**Chapter 7: The Two Talks.**

Ron stirred awake in his comfortable bed as a loud knocking on his front door roused him from sleep. After sitting up in surprise he remembered it was Saturday and that Harry had promised to come over for a visit to the flat. Yawning loudly he staggered to the door and yanked it open to reveal his best friend who was just about to bang on his door again.

"It's almost noon you lazy sod. Don't you have a mission to see about?" he greeted with a grin as he entered the small flat.

"And good morning to you too mate." Ron answered with another yawn as he followed Harry in to the small kitchen where he went about preparing a pot of coffee. It was a bright sunny day and the flat was flooded with sunshine through the front window. He really was a lazy sod sometimes he thought.

He watched as Harry fidgeted around the room and quickly picked up that all was not right with his friend. They basically grew up together and Ron could always tell when his best mate had something on his mind that was bothering him. Still, he kept his mouth shut and pushed a steaming hot mug in front of him on the table as he sat down sipping at his own.

Harry stopped his pacing and finally sat down opposite him with the grin of earlier all but gone. He gave Ron a quick look before taking a gulp of his own.

"So anything new to report? You've been spending a lot of time with her haven't you?" he stated plainly.

Ron nodded as he studied his friend. He would just wait until Harry was ready. In the meanwhile they would just discuss his mission as they had already done a half dozen times. If it helped Harry then he would just do it again.

"Yeah but how much more can I really find out? It's not like I can just go up to her and ask her if the moon and the stars mean anything to her or…hey by the way are you still a virgin?" he grimaced.

He had in fact found out a bit about Hermione Granger during their nightly walks home from the library. They had made it a bit of a habit since their first one over a week ago. She was an only child of muggle dentists and a high achiever since primary school. She was a bit of a loner and even though she had a temper to match his own, she had a genuine caring side that surprised him sometimes. She liked order and schedules to a fault and made a big deal about not being prepared for anything of importance. She appeared confident in what she was good at but there was a vulnerability underneath that he assumed was caused by her perceived difference to most other people.

Of course it had taken almost a full week and a half of being with her to come to his findings but he was enjoying his short moments with her and sometimes even forgot about his real purpose. He enjoyed their casual bickering between them and even sensed that Hermione did not really mind the bantering. He was almost sure she was still "pure of body" but you could never be sure of these things and as he indicated to Harry, he could not find any scenario to confirm his guess. It was much too early in their friendship for such meddling. At least they were friends in the casual walk home together sense.

He had not gone to the library often to meet her since the first night mainly because of two other people. James Anthony Howell III was one, and he made no qualms about not liking Ron for obvious reasons. Mr. Howell had a liking for Hermione and even though she denied Ron's light teasing on the subject, it was the chief reason that he perceived Ron as a threat. The other person was Amy Collins who had continued her blatant flirting towards him. She was certainly not an undesirable girl by a long shot but she reminded him a little too much of his ex-girlfriend. Surprisingly, it had taken a few meetings with the two people in question to guess that she was deliberately flirting with him to get a reaction out of James. Ron had always been confused by the opposite sex and the way they operated, but he soon gathered that the sexy looking blonde was actually a bit taken in by the starchy, straight laced bore. In order to avoid any confusion he preferred to meet Hermione on her way out of the library when she was invariable alone.

He was brought back to reality by the look of frustration on his friend who was back on his feet.

"Time is running out Ron. You have to find a way or just tell her." He suddenly stated. Ron was a bit confused but went along slowly.

"Has anything happened that I need to know Harry?' he asked knowingly as Harry stood still.

"We think we may have found this queen witch." He blurted out as Ron's eyes widened. Harry again took his seat and continued.

"Well we are not sure but there is no one else that fits. It appears that Tom Riddle's uncle, Morfin Gaunt who he framed for the murder of his father and grandfather…had a daughter. No one knows what happened to her after her father went to Azkaban but our investigations indicate that she may have been taken by Riddle himself." He revealed in a long breath. "She is his cousin Ron and I'm betting that he took her under his wing and trained her in secret." He finished.

Ron was silent for a few seconds as he took this in.

"That's quite a longshot Harry. She could just have easily taken off and disappeared to be rid of her family." He countered.

"I don't think so. We have some reports that there is indeed a witch leading the death eaters now and she fits Ron. I just know it!" Harry argued. "And it all ties in with this damn prophecy. There is no other with his blood that we can place. If Voldemort taught her and trained her then she would be a powerful witch in every sense."

Ron had to take this seriously. While he had the random ability to detect the presence of some threats, Harry had a true knack to smell out danger and the facts did fit in this case. That's why they were good as a team. No wonder his mate was in a state…but there was something else.

"Is this why you have been in a tizzy since getting here?" he asked tentatively.

Harry sighed loudly again as he passed his hands over his face in frustration.

"Well partly but…it's just that I have a feeling this is going to blow up in our faces soon and it reminds me of the last war you know and how things went to shit between me and…Ginny." He declared as Ron finally figured it out.

"You're afraid that if another war starts, you're going to have to leave her again right." He guessed before Harry finally nodded slightly.

"I don't want her involved for sure but I just don't want her to feel left out again…if you know what I mean. It's different now with us but shit Ron if this crazy prophecy is even partly true then we are in for a hell of a war and…and…" he stared Ron straight in the face. "…And I think I am going to ask her to marry me."

Ron was taken completely by surprise and his mouth fell open. Well that was certainly not what he expected. "Wha..?" he could only get out of his gaping mouth.

Harry pushed back his chair. "Well it's not as if I hadn't thought about it. It'll be just a little bit earlier than I planned that's all." He explained as Ron came to his senses.

"And what happens if this is just a false prophecy. It can be you know?" he countered.

"Well so what. It's not like we have to get married right away Ron. I just want her to know that whatever happens she can be sure of my feelings." He argued before straightening up. "…You think she will say yes?" he asked with wide eyes. Ron scoffed loudly.

"Of course you idiot! But you don't have to ask her to marry you for her to be sure of your feelings you ass. She already knows…so what's this all about?" he questioned with genuine concern as Harry pulled on his hair.

"I know. I know! It's just that I have a really bad feeling about this prophecy thing and it just got me thinking you know. What am I really waiting on? And if it's not this mission then it's just going to be another. I can't be feeling like this every time Ron so I'm just gonna do it already…Yeah I'm just going to do it." He looked up at his friend with determination in his eyes.

After a short silence Ron slapped his hands on the table with a loud bang.

"Well I think it's great! You go for it Harry and congrats!" he then leaned over and slapped his friend on the shoulder. There was a huge grin on Harrys face now.

"Thanks mate. I just have to work up the nerve to ask now." He stated as his grin faded. Ron let out a chuckle.

"Just let me know when she says yes and we can go and celebrate." He laughed as Harry nodded with his own laugh before becoming a bit serious.

"I don't want to wait too long Ron. I'm serious about this bad feeling I have. That's why you have to find out some more about Hermione or make a move to tell her something. I really think we don't have much time." He stressed again.

Ron scratched his short morning stubble as he thought over Harry's words while looking through the window at the bright day.

"She has final exams starting soon Harry, and I would hate to drop this on her before then." He informed his friend. "But I agree. If you think time is short then as soon as she is finished I will make a decision one way or another." He decided aloud. In the meanwhile he would help his friend in the search for this elusive witch queen.

"Listen, I'll be wasting my time here while Hermione has exams. Let me come and help you until she's finished. At least I can be doing something useful that could also protect her." He almost demanded of his friend.

Harry stood and grabbed his jumper as he began to get ready to leave.

"All right I'll clear it with Kinsley. You can join the team when she starts her exams. It'll be good to have you back even for a short while. Let me know if anything comes up before then and…I'll let you know about my…progress too." He gave a happy smirk as Ron was suddenly struck by an idea.

"As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to see her now. Take care mate and good luck." He wished his best friend as Harry let himself out and Ron went to get himself ready.

 **o0o**

The sun was now high in the sky but it was still a comfortable outside as Ron made his way over to the familiar table in the library. She was alone thank goodness, but it was Saturday and he had hoped as such.

She was hunched over her yellow notepad and mouthing words silently as her hair fell over her face. As he watched, she huffed a bit while trying to get her hair into some order of control. A grin came to him as he slowed enough to take her in. She really was a sight to behold sometimes. Not a stich of makeup on her face as her brown eyes followed her ink stained fingers moving over the words on the page in front of her. She was biting her lower lip between her mutterings and Ron suddenly felt a warmth come over him.

He was now standing still and shook his head clear. This was not the time to be thinking or feeling things that would only add to the many complications already facing him and the girl in the seat a few feet away from him. He was on a mission he reminded himself as he took a deep breath and moved forward.

He announced himself by plopping down in the seat across from her. She stopped her muttering long enough to look up and he glimpsed a small smile that appeared momentarily on her busy face. Before he could utter a word, her smile had turned into a scowl and he wondered at the quick transformation.

"What are you doing here Ron? I told you I wanted to do some studying in peace and quiet so go away." She scolded him but he was accustomed to her brush offs by now so he proceeded along smoothly. Nothing like the direct approach.

"I have deducted that you have not eaten lunch so as a favour to your stomach and to your complexion which is rapidly becoming paler than mine, we are going to make the most of this great day outside. Follow me and all shall be revealed." He snickered as he proceeded to grab her things and pack her bag.

Hermione as usual was stunned for a few seconds before she sprang into life and tried to fight him off.

"What are you doing Ronald Weasley! Give me back my stuff! I have work to do." she huffed as she pulled at his long arms to no avail.

Ron hopped away from the frantic girl before backing away with a serious face while holding her bag in the air.

"Trust me Hermione…after you eat something you can get right back to your work I promise. We are only going a few feet away from the building so you can even come straight back here if you want. I won't even bother you." He promised with his best grin as Hermione fixed him with a glare and a raised eyebrow. He corrected himself quickly.

"…Ok this time I'm not even going to talk so please just follow me. I have everything outside already so the quicker we get there the better the chance of it not being stolen." He tried to explain but the girl was not appeased.

"If you waste my time Ronald I am going to hit you in places on your body that hurt the most believe me." She warned. "And where in God's name are you taking me?" she asked as he turned and walked quickly out of the room. "…in places that hurt Ron I'm warning you!"

Ron led the way out of the dreary building and walked around to the back where an old shady tree stood in a small grassy part of the campus grounds. His blue work knapsack sat atop a sheet he had spread out under the tree. He turned to the surprised girl as he sat down next to his bag.

"You told me that you prefer bright sunny days and I know you can't eat in the library so this is a perfect way to have the best of both worlds. Even better, you can still study while you eat and if I really don't bother you, then you can just stay and get some colour on that pretty face of yours…while you study of course." He clarified as a tiny blush crossed her face. She was still speechless so he zipped open his bag with a flourish.

"Ta da! Your favourite meat pies and your favourite tea from our favourite shop…plus a few sandwiches and juice for me." He gestured a bit worriedly as Hermione still had not moved. "Um...you can have some of my juice if want…if you don't wish for tea…" he trailed off as Hermione finally knelt in front of him with a smile on her face.

"You did this for me? This is such a nice surprise Ron really." She told him quietly as her blush reappeared. Ron felt a surge in his stomach.

"Well…I am a bit hungry too so…yeah I think you need to get a bit of fresh air." He stammered a little surprising himself.

Hermione still had a smile on her face as she kicked off her shoes and sat with her back against the wide tree trunk. Folding her legs under her she reached for a pie and settled down to eat but looked up at him first.

"Did I ever tell you that you are an impossible prat?" she told him with a laugh. Ron nodded in return as he also picked up a sandwich.

"Yeah a few times but I take it as a good thing now." He answered with a grin. Hermione laughed softly again as she bit into her pie.

"Maybe Mr. Weasley…maybe." She uttered as she picked up her notes and began to read.

As promised, after Ron finished his meal he quickly pulled over his knapsack bundling it up under his head and laid down quietly. He fell asleep within five minutes under the shady tree with the wind blowing softly across his face and the girl reading serenely next to him…

…He twitched awake as something poked his side. Little toes attached to a little foot were prodding into him and he turned on his side to look at her after checking his watch. She was leaning against the tree trunk and smiling at him.

"I think you've had enough rest you lazy prat. It's getting late and while I love this place we should be getting home soon." She informed him as he yawned loudly.

"Right. Give me a few minutes while I get my head in order." He responded as he sat up slowly. "Did you get enough work done?" She was staring at him but nodded.

"I did…no thanks to your snoring." She laughed. "But this was lovely Ron. Thanks for everything." She beamed at him. Ron returned the grin as he straightened out his bag.

"Is that your work bag? What does the ASF logo stand for?" she suddenly asked as he became fully awake. This girl certainly had a sharp eye and a suspicious mind. The small red logo of the Auror Special Force was stitched on the front flap of his bag.

"Err…yeah it's…for work but that's just…the brand of the bag I guess." He answered shiftily not meeting her eyes. He heard her sigh but busied himself getting packed to leave.

"You know sometimes I feel that you are hiding something from me that I should know about but I tell myself that it's just your work and I shouldn't pry." She said softly and he had to look at her face as she continued.

"There's something about you Ronald Weasley that I just can't put my finger on and it confuses me. I know I'm a nosey know it all but you are my biggest mystery. You say you are doing research but you do not really strike me as the bookish type. You disappear and reappear at all odd hours of the day. I know you live and grew up out of London but the simplest of things seem to baffle you sometimes. And even though I do trust you it gets to me sometimes." She finished with an unfulfilled look on her face.

Ron stopped his packing as he wrestled with himself. She was right. She deserved some answers as to why he was now around her all the time but it was too early he convinced himself. She was already a bag of nerves and telling her now before her exams would drive her over the edge. Still he needed to try and sooth her concerns. He pushed the bag aside and turned fully to her.

"Look Hermione I know it's only been a short time but I do consider you a good friend…and I hope you think of me as a friend too. Everything I have told you so far about myself is true. My family and friends and Harry…and yes I do work for a special branch of law enforcement but…there is something that I can't tell you as yet. I want to…but it's just not the right time." He ran his hands over his hair as he shifted closer to her.

"I don't want you to worry. You have nothing to fear from me. In fact it's just the opposite. I will do anything to make sure that no harm comes to you I promise." He told her earnestly as her eyes opened wide.

"Why would you have to protect me?" she asked quickly with a hint of fear in her voice and Ron felt he had let slip a bit more than he should have. He put a hand on her leg gently.

"No no…you misunderstood me…I do not have many close friends Hermione but I tend to become a bit protective of the ones that I do have and well…it's a part of my job as well I guess. That's what I meant." He explained as he looked at her.

She seemed a bit hesitant with his explanation but her smile was back. Ron patted her leg reassuringly before withdrawing his hand and returning her smile.

"Don't worry Ron. Call be crazy but even though I know very little about you, for some ungodly reason I do trust you." She told him honestly. It was his turn to relax now so he slumped back on his elbows and looked up at her.

"Ok then ask me anything…about myself that is. What do you want to know that I haven't told you before." He threw out at her. She studied him for a few moments before pointing to his arm.

"Where did you get those scars? They don't seem to bother you but they look so unique. I was just wondering." She asked innocently. Ron was a bit taken by the question but he already had a prepared answer since his last mission so this was easy. He did not want to lie to her but there was no other way. He glanced at the tendril like scars on his left arm.

"It's from a school chemistry lab gone horrible wrong. Some acid fell on my arm but you're right it doesn't trouble me. Why? Does it bother you?" he returned the question. Hermione was quick to reply.

"No not at all. I was just curious. I know it's not the same but I have a funny birthmark on my back too so I guess we both have scars that we live with." She explained before dropping down on her elbows with a twinkle in her eye.

"So tell me something about you that no one else knows? That should seal our friendship." She smirked as she wriggled her delicate toes in front of her.

Ron was tempted to blurt out the truth but stalled a bit as he studied her. She really was making this hard for him.

"Not even Harry?" he asked. "Because he knows almost everything about me already." He clarified. He squinted in thought before answering. This was actually harder than it looked.

"I really hate spiders and I used to be jealous of Harry and even though you would never believe it if you saw us together, I do love all my siblings to death." He started. "…but there is something that no one else knows." he paused. "…It's silly and stupid and I only started doing it last year but…" he looked at her and pointed his finger at her.

"If I tell you this, you cannot repeat it to anyone you have to swear." He told her seriously as she laughed.

"I promise…so what is this big secret." She grinned at him excitedly.

"Ok well I like to…I like to watch…girlie movies." He blurted out with a sigh as he glanced in her direction. To his surprise she rolled her eyes and just huffed out.

"That's not a secret Ron, all boys like to watch those movies you idiot." She informed him with a glare. It took a few moments for him to catch up with her but then it suddenly dawned on him as his eyes popped open.

"No. no. Not those kinds of movies…I mean the ones that girls like to watch. They call them girl-flicks or something like that." He scrunched his nose trying to remember the exact word. He had started going to the movies on his off time during his last mission in London and he still sometimes snuck away to continue his secret past time. Hermione was now grinning widely.

'You mean chic flicks? Oh Ron you sappy boy! That is so…so…surprising! I can't believe it, you soft hearted man!" she laughed out loudly as she lay flat on her back giggling away. Ron watched her laugh and even though he was a bit embarrassed by his confession, it was great seeing her so relaxed.

"Hey you promised not to tell remember and I can't help it if I am a hopeless romantic." He laughed with her.

Soon they were both lying side by side on the sheet having expended enough energy laughing at his expense. Ron turned to watch her staring up into the tree. Maybe he could use the occasion to draw her out a bit and learn something about his mysterious target.

"So tell me a secret about yourself that no one else knows. It's your turn and it's only fair." He prodded her with a smirk but she continued to stare straight ahead. He sensed her thinking seriously about his question. This could be interesting.

"I don't have many secrets Ron. My life has been fairly well planned out and quite simple when you think about it. I always knew I would be exactly where I am now from an early age. I don't like surprises as I'm sure you know." She finally turned to him with an unreadable face.

"I have a bit of a temper." She suddenly informed him before he chuckled out.

"No really? I never would have guessed." He laughed as she hit his arm before settling down again.

"Well I know that's not a secret but I…try do things not to bottle up my anger. I like riding, and swimming helps…" she paused as Ron winced. "…it's ok Ron we both agreed it was not only your fault about my bike." She reassured him before continuing "Reading is my favourite thing but there is another thing that I do…" here she paused again as she covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe I'm telling you this."

"Oh come on Hermione I promise to keep your secret. I told you mine." He reminded her. She moved her hands apart slightly.

"Well sometimes in my room I…I put on my headphones and some music and…and…I dance about." She revealed with a squeak.

It took Ron a few seconds to absorb her confession which did not seem as anything grand but he sought to clarify what she was on about.

"You mean like ball dancing? Like a waltz or something like that?" he asked but she shook her head and removed one of her hands and peeked at him.

"No. I mean like…jump up and down dancing. Crazy movements all over the place dancing. That kind. It loosens me up." She explained as it slowly dawned on him. He had seen it night after night at the club where he worked on his last muggle mission. He had always thought that the people on the dance floor were a bit barmy but this explanation made more sense of it.

Reaching over he removed her hand and looked her in the face with his best grin.

"Hermione Granger…You're a closet nightclub dancer! You devil you." He smirked at her as she squealed and hit him again.

"Do not even dream of telling anyone about this Ronald Weasley or I will have to remove your tongue." She threatened jokingly.

As Ron rolled onto his back laughing, it suddenly occurred to him that there may a real good magical reason for Hermione wanting to control her temper. He still needed to confirm a few things about her first so he turned to her with a sly smile.

"That was a good secret Granger. I have to remember that." He started harmlessly. "So…other than Prat the III, are there any other boyfriends in the past? What about secret societies? Join any lately that worship the moon or stars?" he threw out with a laugh looking for any reaction. Instead he got another hard whack on his arm.

"Will you stop the nonsense about James? He is not and has never been my boyfriend and…no…I never had any time for real ones either." She said softly. "God why am I telling you all this for?" she ended with a sigh as her hands came up to her face again.

He was pleased at her confession but her lack of reaction to his hint of astrology worried him a bit. He would never solve that mysterious part of the prophecy it seemed. It was time to get a little serious in his subtle prodding. He looked at her with some trepidation.

"So what happens if you bottle up your temper and then you really lose it? You don't turn into some crazy person do you? I think I should be aware of this…seeing that most likely I might be the one on the receiving end of it someday." He ended on a light joke but she had gone a bit serious and was again staring ahead. He waited through a long period of silence.

"If you're worried just know that I would never hurt you intentionally Ron but that's my real secret. Sometimes…funny things happen when I get really mad and that's why I tend to stay by myself." She hinted vaguely.

Ron's head was twirling. Had she just admitted something to him? Should he use this opening to explain that it was ok to experience this? That extreme anger could sometimes trigger unexplained happenings from magical persons? It was an opening and he was tempted but his instinct went against it.

"Look I don't know what you mean by funny things but I believe you. You would never harm your friends." he told her instead. Safe and reassuring was the way. Hermione sat up and looked down at him now.

"That's the thing Ron! I don't do friends very well. I'm set in my ways, I'm easily annoyed, I'm annoying to a point too and I hate it when I don't know something!" she ranted a bit and he suspected she was still on about her anger issues or at least the possible results of her anger. This was definitely not the time and place to bring up the topic of a magical world. He sat up next to her and touched her arm this time.

"Hey I'm sorry to have brought this up but don't worry about it. You're not that different from anyone else. You're looking at the king of temper and hot-headedness believe me. But you deal with it in your own way and everything will be fine. And no matter whatever "funny" things happen, you will still have your family and friends Hermione. You have Liz and Jeff and Amy…and that twit James…and you have me." He said gently as he rubbed her arm softly. "…I am your friend right?" he grinned to diffuse the situation a bit.

He watched as she visibly relaxed. A small smile graced her pretty face as she place her hand gently over his.

"As I said before, you are my biggest mystery Ronald Weasley. Only you have the ability to get me riled up in a second yet only you can make me really relax and enjoy myself." She laughed as she patted his hand under hers before pulling back.

"Thanks for today Ron and yes…you are my friend." She said with her smile.

 **o0o**


	9. The Good and Bad

_**AN: It's a bit frustrating at the moment with the fanfiction site. I am getting reviews in my email but some do not show up on the site and vice versa. I also can't reply to some of my reviews as I get an error message. Real frustration! Please just continue reading and reviewing and I will deal with the rest. Thanks all.**_

 **Chapter 8: The Good and Bad.**

The noise of pots and pans in the kitchen woke Hermione with a start and she sat up a bit too quickly as her head began to buzz. It was the last day of classes before her exams and she was late! She pulled aside her warm bed cover and made to jump out when she remembered with relief that her last practical class was in the afternoon and there was no real need to hurry. Flopping back down in her soft bed she went through her schedule...again.

It was now Tuesday and exams started on Thursday going on for a full week and a half before finishing the first week in June before the long summer holidays. She was going to be putting in some long hours at the library in the next few days. All her notes on every subject were completed and it was just a matter of revising and revising until she had them all put to memory. She was on schedule but yet her nerves were on shreds. She should be revising and not lolling about in bed!

Somewhere inside of her head a mischievous voice told her to relax and breathe deeply. The voice laughed and told her that if she didn't, her head would explode and a bunch of words would fly out and hit everyone and he certainly did not want to be covered in her brain word mess. Besides…the voice reassured her that she was already prepared and was just finding an excuse to be in the library…with him.

Her eyes flew open with that last statement. That was preposterous! She had to study and he was never really in the library. Why was she having this conversation in the first place? Turning on her stomach with a groan she admitted the answer to herself… Because he did make her feel relaxed. Because he made her feel sure of herself yet sometimes vulnerable in his presence. Because she enjoyed studying knowing she was going to see him shortly after on her way home. Because he was an impossible prat who pushed her buttons at will and who intrigued her and because she felt closer to him than any other person. How could that be?

The noise in the kitchen roused her from her thoughts and this time she quickly grabbed her dressing gown and headed out to see who was responsible. To her surprise it was Liz in the kitchen and she was actually making breakfast, something that she had not seen in a while.

"Liz why are you up this early and why are you making breakfast?" she asked with some concern. The bright faced girl smiled at her and waved a spoon in her hand.

"Because it's the last day of classes Hermione. Yay! We are leaving our third year behind forever so we have to remember everything about this day. In fact after our class, we are all coming here to have a few drinks and celebrate!" she whooped out heartedly. Hermione sighed to herself as she remembered the same exact day last year and the drunken night that followed. More than that, she remembered the wasted time and the panic at the near derailment of her schedule.

"Oh no. Not again this year Liz. I remember clearly what happen last year and I am not going to let it happen again." She stated emphatically as Liz pouted.

"Oh come on Hermione. It's tradition! You can't possibly be studying again tonight. It's our last day of class! And James will want you here or else he will be a mop too. Please?" She begged as Hermione felt her resolve waver.

"Ok but I'm only having one drink Liz. One drink and then I'm done. You guys could party all night for all I care but I will be studying in my room. It's only our final exams after all." She answered with a warning before grabbing a cup of orange juice on the counter. Liz grinned as she scooped something mushy out of the frying pan then turned to her again.

"Oh hey you can ask Ron if he wants to come too. I'm sure he will." She said a bit too breezily as Hermione almost choked on her juice.

"What? Why would I…we…I mean why do you want Ron to come?" she asked before taking a large sip of her juice to hide her face. Liz turned to her with a knowing look on her face.

"Because he makes you laugh and enjoy yourself which you surely need in my view. Besides I get to see James in a strop whenever Ron is around and that's always good for a laugh, plus we get to see Amy flirt in vain with Ron while she watches James in a strop. It'll be fun I tell you." She smirked before going back to her breakfast preparations. Hermione was a bit put out by her comments and stuttered to find a proper response.

"I don't need anyone to enjoy myself and I surely have no idea what you are going on about James and Amy." She answered feebly. Liz let out a soft sigh as she faced her.

"You are such a smart girl Hermione but sometimes you have no idea what's going on around you." She said as she shook her head a little. "Listen you can decide whether you want to invite Ron or not. It's up to you but he's been around us lately and it would be nice to have everyone together to celebrate that's all." She finished before taking up two loaded plates and moving towards her bedroom.

"You can ask him on your way out. I saw him taking his morning run around the park so he should be home by now…that is if you want him to come I'm saying." Liz casually informed her roommate before disappearing through her door.

Hermione returned to her room and was immediately flooded by conflicting thoughts. It would be nice to see him after their talk on Saturday and yes he did have the ability to make her laugh and enjoy herself. But No! She just knew that he would insist on her not revising her work and she would most likely end up like last year…with a bit of a hangover and her schedule out of whack. No. She could not have that! She would be happy to see him on her way home from the library just like always…yet…it would mean a lot to her to see his happy face among her friends. Oh who was she fooling! She just wanted to see his happy face again that was all! God this was ridiculous she scolded herself as she got ready to leave.

She was still in two minds as she skipped down the stairs and paused by his door. Changing her mind she turned and made her way to the end of the hall before pausing again. Maybe he would actually listen to her if she really insisted on revising in her room after just a few drinks. She huffed to herself. Of course she could! She had never let anyone tell her what to do and Ronald Weasley was not going to be the one to change that! Steeling her resolve she again turned and marched to his door before giving a loud knock.

When there was no answer she knocked again and waited. With each second she became more nervous with her intent. Gosh! It was just an innocent friendly invitation she told herself as the door swung open with a swish.

"Harry you're early you prat. I just finished my run so you'll have to…oh Hermione!" she heard before freezing to the spot with her hand raised.

It was Ron staring at her…in just his sweat pants…bare chested and sweaty. Oh my lord! She tried to move her mouth but nothing seemed to work at the moment.

"No…It's…I…I…um…" apparently her brain had also gone astray as nothing came to mind. Luckily Ron was oblivious to her state.

"Hey I'm glad you stopped by. I have to tell you something so come in for a while please." he told her as he swung the door fully open and motioned for her to enter. Somehow Hermione found enough sense to hurry inside trying to hide her blush. _What the heck was wrong with her?_

Keeping her back to him she strode over to the sunlit window and slowly gathered herself. Taking a deep breath she slowly glanced behind her to see him heading into the bedroom. He stopped at the door and turned to her with a nervous smile.

"Sorry I thought you were Harry. He's coming in a little while but…It's good you are here. Yeah I'm glad you came." He finished softly. Hermione finally found her voice but her eyes still strayed to his upper body.

"Yes it's good to watch you too…I mean see you too. Yeah it's also good to be here Ron." She fumbled before flaying her hands. "Oh for heaven's sake! Will you just go and put on a shirt or something?" she squeaked out in a feinted huff.

Ron glanced down at himself for a brief second and his lopsided grin appeared on his face.

"Sorry. My pale body is affecting you it seems?" he laughed out before turning and going into his room.

The smile was now on her face as she again made her way to the sunny window. Pale body indeed! Actually it _was_ pale but surprisingly very toned and fit also. Shaking her head away from the image, she sat down on the comfortable reading bench under the window. She had always loved this place.

"I was going to tell you to make yourself at home but it seems you have already." He chuckled as he came out of his room with an old grey tee shirt on. She turned to him with a smile.

"I love this spot here in this flat, it's just perfect for reading and studying. You know after Ann left I asked Mrs. Adams if I could let it for a couple of months but it really didn't make sense after all." She informed him.

Rod nodded in understanding as he took a seat on the small couch. He was carrying something in his hand but she couldn't make it out. "Yeah she said one of the upstairs students had asked for it but hey it's a good thing or else I would not be here right?" he replied spreading his long arms over the back of the couch clenching the item in his hand. He looked a bit nervous again.

'So what brings you here? It's your last class of the term right? I was hoping to catch you before you left so I'm err…glad you came." He repeated himself. It was now her turn to get a bit nervous.

"Well that's why I came actually. Liz and Jeff are having some of our classmates over after the class to celebrate and I…we were wondering if…if you would like to come up and join us. If you want to of course." She finished with a large puff of breath trying to look as relaxed as possible. Her hearth dropped a bit when she saw the look that came over his face.

"I'm really sorry Hermione. This is what I wanted to let you know before you started your exams." He began to explain as he sat up straight. "I promised Harry to help him with something so I'll be gone for most of today and the next week probably. I have no idea where I'll be and when I'll be here so I just wanted to wish you good luck in your exams…and to give you this." He stood up and approached her before giving her what was held in his hand.

She was a little stunned to be honest as she looked at the item in her hand. It was a queen chess piece intricately carved out of some beautiful green stone that swirled with various other colours embedded within. Ron sat next to her on the window seat.

"It's a chess piece of course but it's made from a special stone that's supposed to have magical properties. It's supposed to bring you good luck and it's the queen so…you know." He paused nervously. "You don't have to carry it around or anything and I'm sure you don't need any luck as you probably already know everything for your exams inside out but…you can just put it anywhere I guess…just in case you know?" he finished with a slight stammer.

Hermione was still looking at the beautiful figure and trying her best not to get teary eyed but it was hard not to get a bit emotional. She finally looked up to give him an appreciative smile but her body took over and she reached over and embraced him in a hug that lasted a lot longer than it should have. As she pulled back she had to smile at his red ears.

"Thanks Ron it's so beautiful. I love it. I'll keep it in my room I promise." She smiled at him before remembering his earlier words.

"So is this another research job with Harry?" she inquired honestly. Ron had gone a bit serious as he shook his head.

"Not exactly, but we are looking for something and Harry needs all the help he can get. That's why I can't say exactly how long it will take." He explained vaguely. Hermione played with the chess piece in her hand as she realised the consequence.

"So I guess…I won't be seeing you after I leave the library. Who's going to protect me from the bad guys?" she joked even though she already felt a little lonelier inside. Ron's face dropped even more at her words.

"Hey don't make me feel worse than I already do. I'll try to get back as soon as I can every day but I can't promise." He spurted out seriously and she immediately felt horrible and she reached to touch his arm.

"No Ron I can take care of myself remember. I'll be fine so just be careful whatever you do ok?" she reassured him.

He nodded quietly and it looked like he was struggling with himself to say something so she waited. He finally looked at her and was about to speak when the front door opened with a bang and a man with a black mop of wavy hair and wearing round spectacles on his young face strode inside.

"You better be out of bed Ron or I'm going to leave your ass behind." He stated as he dropped his bag on the floor. They both stood up suddenly and Harry finally noticed them in the room. He looked a bit embarrassed by his entrance.

"Oh sorry. Gosh you must think I'm a right prat with my language." He said as he approached them both.

Ron turned to her with a smile now on his face. "This is my friend and co-worker Harry Potter the sorriest prat you will get to meet." He introduced with a smirk.

Harry only smiled and reached for her hand. "Nice to meet you and you must be Hermione." He greeted.

"Yes. Hermione Granger and I'm glad to finally meet you Harry." She smiled at him as she shook his hand.

"Oh boy. What has this fellow been spewing about me I must ask?" Harry grinned as he nodded at Ron who had already started to make his way to the bedroom. The tall man laughed loudly and addressed them both.

"I'm going to take a shower and get ready so please take care of Harry for me will you Hermione? He tends to get in trouble just sitting down." He chuckled out as he looked at her. "I'll be back out in a jiffy so wait for me ok?" he told her softly as he rushed inside.

Harry was now sat in the same position as his friend was a few moments ago. She took a seat in the small armchair and looked at Ron's best friend. He really had the face of a boy yet appeared years ahead of his looks.

"So what has he really told you about me Hermione?" Harry inquired as she relaxed into her chair.

"That you have been best friends since meeting at boarding school at 11 years. That you work together at some special branch of law enforcement and have always looked out for each other. Your girlfriend is Ron's sister and he considers you part of his large family." She summarized quickly.

Harry gave her a small laugh and she suddenly felt an ease in his presence. It was a different feeling to the one with Ron but something about it was familiar.

"I guess that's it in a nutshell." He looked at her closely. "Has he told you what he's doing here?" he asked softly.

"Just that he's doing some research for a special case that's all. I wish I could help him as I'm very good at it but I know it's classified or something of the sort I guess. He said he will tell me when the time is right." She answered with a small frown. She saw Harry relax a bit in his seat.

"Don't worry yourself about it. You have your exams he told me so you just concentrate on that." He advised knowingly. "So did you always know you wanted to become a doctor?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"My parents are dentists but I could never see myself limited to just fixing teeth. I always wanted to fix more than that. Becoming a doctor allows me to do so much more I guess." She reasoned to him with a shrug. 'It sounds a bit cheesy but I just want to do something important with my life."

Harry leaned forward in his seat and looked at her with a knowing stare.

"You will Hermione Granger I am sure of it." He said with a nod as Ron appeared with his distinct scent filling the room.

"Ok I'm ready so stop badmouthing me Harry." He laughed as Hermione gave him a smile. It was genuinely nice to see two grown men so as ease with each other. It felt like she had always known them maybe in another life she reasoned with a silent laugh.

"I should leave you guys to your work. It was really nice to meet you Harry. I hope I get to see you again." She said instead and moved to the door. Harry gave her a wave.

"I'm sure I will Hermione and good luck in your exams." He told her as Ron took her arm and walked with her.

"I can't promise but I'll try to get back in time tonight to see you guys upstairs." He said with some hope.

"Don't worry about it Ron and I don't really want to spend too much time celebrating anyway. I have work to do too so just be careful as I said...and thanks again for that lovely gift." Ron still held her arm and she was a bit reluctant to separate herself from him but she finally pulled away and gave him a smile as she moved out into the hallway with a small goodbye wave.

She had already seen him for the day so she was satisfied with it.

 **o0o**

It was just after 8:00 pm but Hermione was already in her room trying to read her revision notes. The celebration was still proceeding outside in the flat but she had no inkling to go back and join her friends. Apart from all the noise and beer, James was acting stranger than normal and Amy seemed to be somehow upset with her so she was fine where she was. Maybe she should have a talk with Liz when she had a chance.

Above all that, the damn graduation ball was a constant topic among everyone in the room. She had never once gone to any of them and every year she hated when it became the subject of constant rumours, speculation and conjecture about who was going with who etc. Yes it would be nice to celebrate the end of the year with a dress up ball but she never developed the enthusiasm for it…or more accurately she never had the wish to really go with anyone and pretend to enjoy herself.

James had asked her a couple of years but he already knew her take on the subject. She believed he went with Amy last year or the year before but couldn't really remember. Now that she thought about it, James acting strange and Amy's sudden coldness towards her probably had something to do with that stupid ball. She really should have that talk with Liz when she had a chance.

Her eyes settled on the small green figure on her dressing table and her thoughts wandered in a different direction. She had waited in hope of seeing him appear but soon gave up as it got later and later. She tried to convince herself that it was for the best as she excused herself and retired to her room but she had yet to read a single word of her notes.

She had just met this man and yet he had become this important part of her daily life. She was baffled at this and spent a lot of unproductive time trying to come to terms with it but in the end she just accepted the fact that he was her close friend who made it a habit of invading and disrupting her steely mind-set yet sometimes making her feel free and at ease with herself.

The noise outside suddenly increased as it appeared that someone had entered the flat and was greeted with a small cheer. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat as she opened her door and took a step outside into the noise with her notes still in her hand.

Her disappointment must have registered on her face as she realised that it was only Jeff's roommate Dillon who had come along late as usual. Before she could retreat back into her room Liz suddenly appeared and slung her arm around her and dragged her deeper into the crowd.

"Hey Hermione. Please stop studying and making the rest of us look bad will you?" she giggled out as she sipped a drink with a strange looking colour. Liz was a bit sloshed it sounded as she looked around the room.

"Where's Ron when you need him I say." She started. "He would surely have a word or two to say about you stashed away in your room while everyone is having a good time." She pointed a shaky finger at Hermione who rolled her eyes and wriggled out of her friends clutches.

"As you can see he's not here Liz. I told you he had to work so leave it be please." She warned her flatmate.

As she turned towards her room she heard a voice suddenly over her shoulder. It was Dillon who had a beer in his hand and a stupid grin on his face.

"Hey isn't that the red haired guy from downstairs? Because I saw him and another guy going into his flat on my way here and man he sure looked beaten up good. I think I saw a bit of blood too. Must have been in a fight I guess. Yep I don't think we'll be seeing him here anytime." He stated matter of factually.

Hermione had suddenly gone cold with the news and she felt rooted to the spot as the blood drained out of her face. No! No! This could not be true.

Swinging around, she ran through the front door in a rush and sprinted down the steps her notes flashing in her hand as she skidded to a stop in front of his door. Her heart was beating wildly as she looked down and gasped out with a small cry.

There on the wooden floor was a dark trail of blood leading under the door into his flat.

 **o0o**

 _ **Sorry I had to stop here and split the chapter in two. The next one will be in Ron's POV. Hope you liked it.**_


	10. The Way Ahead

**Chapter 9: The Way Ahead.**

The two men stumbled out of the trees in a dark corner of the park with the taller one leaning heavily against the other.

"Shit Harry did we make it in one piece? You think anyone saw us?" the taller one asked.

"Yeah it seems so. Lucky thing I memorized this location the last time I was here and if anyone sees us among the bushes they will just assume its two gay guys having some fun anyway." The other replied with a chuckle. The tall red head laughed out then held his side with a grimace.

"Merlin Harry stop making me laugh! It hurts." He indicated.

"Hey are you really OK? I should have taken you to St Mungos like you were told." The shorter man scolded.

"I told you I'm fine and I don't want to spend any wasted time there. Just take me home Harry then you can get your ass back and make some sense of what happened back there." Ron ordered somewhat.

Without another word the two men made their way along the pathway until they came to the opening across from the apartment building. Ron had his ASF work robe wrapped around his upper body and was labouring a bit. Without wasting too much time they crossed the roadway, opened the outer gate and stopped at the main door. Ron struggled for a second or two before turning to his friend with a sheepish look.

"The keys are in my front right pocket Harry. I can't move my arm enough so just fish them out and let's get in. Just don't go grabbing anything that doesn't jingle." he managed to inform him with a wry grin.

"Will you stop joking around? This is serious! You could have been hurt real bad Ron." Harry grumbled as he retrieved the keys out of Ron's pocket and opened the door.

They stumbled along the hallway and paused at the door to the flat. Harry was still fumbling to find the right key when the main door opened again with a bang and a young man rushed in on his way up the stairs.

Ron had to still Harry whose hand had immediately gone for his wand as he recognized Jeff's roommate from upstairs who paused and stared at Ron.

"Hey are you all right mate? Had a rough night have you?" he actually smirked in recognition. Harry waved him off before he could answer.

"Yeah he's fine so just continue up ok?" he huffed before pushing the door open with his foot and dragging Ron inside then closing the door hurriedly behind them.

Harry quickly switched on the lights and immediately gasped in horror as he took a good look at his friend.

"Merlin Ron you're bleeding all over the floor! I thought you said you were fine! Let's get you in the bathroom quickly! Come on. I've got you." he shuddered at the sight but quickly helped his friend into the small bathroom and sat him down on the edge of the tub. He gently unwrapped the blood stained robe and threw it in the tub along with Ron's jumper which was also bloodied and torn. Using his wand, he ripped the tee shirt off his friend and gasped at the sight. There were numerous cuts and gashes all over Ron's right arm and his body, with pieces of broken glass and splinters still sticking out of him. His face had fared a lot better during the short battle but still bore marks of his crazy escape stunt.

"Shit Ron! You should be in the hospital mate. This looks bad." was all he could say at the moment as Ron shook his head.

"It's ok Harry. It's just this nasty gash on my forearm that's bleeding like hell. Nothing is broken or dislocated. Just get the dittany and cream from my bag and fix this cut. Hurry!" he pointed to his bag that he had dropped on the ground at his foot.

Harry soon had the bottle in his hands and quickly applied a few drops of the magical liquid onto the open tear in Ron's arm. His friend hissed with the sudden added pain but the cut slowly mended over and the bleeding stopped completely. Ron let out a deep breath as he took the bottle and cream from Harry.

"Thanks mate I can take it from here. I'll be fine I promise. You should report back and try and find out what the hell happened." He paused with a frown. "What the hell _did_ happen you think? I couldn't get one bloody spell out! Nothing! It was like I suddenly became a freaking squib! What the hell is going on?" he ranted more to himself than his partner. Harry had stood up and was pacing in the tiny room.

"No idea but it also happen to me. I was trying every spell I could but nothing was working." He answered softly. "Hell if you didn't pull me through that window, we both would have been blown apart." He looked at his partner. "…thanks for that by the way." He ended as he closed his eyes and replayed the scene that he was speaking about.

The ASF had decided to raid a small house on the south coast that they were sure was a major meeting place for the top death eaters. The house was full and it was the perfect time for a raid but their plans had gone to hell when the anti-apparition spells that were put in place had suddenly and surprisingly gone down. At risk of losing their quarry, the lead team with Harry and Ron had crashed through the front door before the back-up team in the rear was properly in place.

Things had gone completely insane when the Aurors suddenly found that none of their spells worked inside the small front room that they were located in. It was as if some sort of an anti-magic spell hovered over their location making them sitting ducks. The death eaters had no such difficulty and let loose a series of powerful blasting spells that took out half of the team in the first few seconds. Ron had wrapped his robes around his arm, covered his face and pulled Harry along as he threw himself outside through a glass window. When the back-up team had finally burst through, the death eaters had all apparated out leaving the ASF in shock, confusion and worry. Ron had been ordered to St. Mungos but had begged Harry to take him home instead.

"Listen, as soon as I get a chance I'll come back and fill you in and to see how you are doing ok?" Harry informed his friend with a pat on his shoulder. "Take it easy and get some rest." He finished before heading into the living room and apparating out with a soft crack.

Ron put the healing cream on the tub edge and gingerly tried to extract the many small pieces of glass and splinters from his body with his fingers. He considered using his wand but decided against it as he was not exactly too sure how to go about it without causing more damage honestly.

"Ouch! Bugger! Shit that hurts!" he was swearing at a rate to reflect his slow painful progress when he heard the front door swing open and a frazzled Hermione appeared at the bathroom door looking paler than he had ever seen her. He froze in complete surprise with the bottle still in his hands as he saw her glance away from him to the bloodied clothes in the tub then back at him as her hand came up to her mouth in a loud gasp. He was the first to utter a word.

"Hey." was all he could muster at the moment but it seemed to galvanise the girl in front of him.

"Oh my god Ron! What happened to you!" she gushed out as she rushed to stoop in front of him. "Are you ok? When Dillon told me you were in a fight I just knew he was wrong but I was so worried. And there was all this blood by the door and shouldn't you be in a hospital? And where is Harry?" she rambled on and Ron had to suppress a grin as he looked at his new friend.

"It's ok Hermione I'm fine. It just looks worse than it is. We just got into a…situation that's all and Harry had to go back." He tried to reassure her but Hermione was now in her bossy mode.

"He left you here alone! Well I will certainly have a few words with him later…" She started as Ron jumped to defend his friend.

"He had to get back Hermione. He wasn't even supposed to leave the scene…." He tried to explain but Hermione had already started in on him as she looked him over.

"And what in the world are you using? Are you seriously picking out those splinters with your dirty fingers? Honestly! Doesn't the department give you any proper medication?" she ranted before grabbing the bottle out of his hand and gazing at the label.

"What the heck is Essence of Dittany? I have never heard of it. And what is this?" she continued as she also picked up the cream and looked at it.

"Cream of Murtap? What nonsense are you using Ron? Don't you have anything else? What about bandages?" she asked a bit loudly.

Ron had gone into blank mode with all the questions but now that he was caught out he had to come up with some explanation.

"Erm…well…that's what Mum always uses on us and it works, so I just thought I should use it too you know and…I don't have anything else." He admitted feebly hoping to placate her somewhat. Hermione huffed out as she stood up suddenly.

"Just stay right here and do not move. I'll be right back. Don't do anything." She ordered before disappearing out of the room in a flash.

Ron heard the front door open and shut and immediately reached behind him to grab all the bloody clothing to put away in a garbage bag for cleaning later and remembered to retrieve his wand from his jumper which he quickly put in his bag. He also put away the bottle and cream to prevent any more difficult questions. He tried his best to wash away all the blood that had settled in the tub which was a lot easier than cleaning away the bloody floor. He was dragging a wet cloth over the floor just outside the bathroom when Hermione returned with a bag in her hand and a look that told him she was not pleased.

"I told you not to move Ron. I can do that after. Just get back in the bathroom so I can take care of you." she scolded him but there was a slight blush on her face with the last words out of her mouth.

Ron obeyed and soon Hermione was using a tweezers to pull out all the various pieces of glass and wood that were still stuck in him. When she was satisfied that every bit was out she cleaned every cut and scrape before applying a last dab of antiseptic cream and bandages where necessary.

Ron remained silent and gazed at her flushed face thinking that even though he might take a bit longer to heal without the magical potions, this was so much better than he wanted to admit. Her soft caring hands made him feel…good…and as the smell of her hair permeated his senses it was now clear to him that this witch had become someone special to him in more ways than one. It scared him somewhat but his resolve to protect her only increased.

"You sure picked the right profession Granger. You're very good at this and that's coming from someone who has spent a lot of time with h…doctors." he told her as she blushed a shade deeper trying to keep her face turned away from him. She busied herself putting away her stuff into the bag.

"Stop trying to butter me up but…thank you anyway." she chuckled before turning to him fully. "So are you going to tell me what happened to you?" she asked. Ron just waved his hand as he stood.

"Let's just say I had a forceful encounter with a window while trying to get away from…other forceful encounters." He answered vaguely with his best grin which made her laugh again as she shook her head.

"I always knew you were not the research type of guy Ron. You just have to be careful next time ok?" she told him with a more serious face.

Ron was not stupid. He knew that Hermione already suspected that he was involved in something other than his lame research excuse which had worn thin over the last few days but he knew deep down that she was not ready for the truth. After all she was now starting her exams and here he was keeping her away from her studies. That last thought jerked him to his senses.

"Oh hell Hermione! I forgot about your studies. Gosh I'm sorry for making you waste all this time on me. I know you wanted to do some reviewing tonight and here I am keeping you away from your work." He spouted his apology as he brushed his hands through his hair. Hermione rushed to calm him down.

"It's fine Ron. I couldn't do any work in my room anyway. There was too much noise outside and besides you were hurt and I couldn't just leave you like that. I told you I was worried about you and I…I…needed to make sure you were ok." She finished softly with another tinge of pink on her pretty face. Merlin! His emotions were definitely getting the better of him.

"Well I'm fine now thanks to you but I don't want to take up too much more of your time so if you need to get back to your studies please do." he indicated sincerely.

He saw the hesitation in her face as she bent to retrieve her set of revision notes from the floor where she had apparently dropped them. She stood up but made no effort to move to the door. She looked down at the notes in her hand.

"Well I'm sure the noise has not died down as yet anyway so…there's no rush I guess." She said softly still looking away from him. Ron eagerly took that as a hint and tried to make some conversation.

"So what exam are you studying for? And are those all your revision notes?" he asked.

"It's for my human anatomy exam and yes I have all the notes I need right here. I think I already know it enough but you know me…" she trailed off as Ron suddenly had a brilliant idea.

"Hey tell you what. I'll put on some tea and I can pick you up." He said with confidence as her eyes grew wide in surprise.

"No you can't. You have no idea about anatomy and…and it just won't work you idiot." She countered with a bit of fire. Ron easily grabbed the notes from her hand and proceeded into the kitchen with two large strides. As he put the kettle on, he turned to the girl who appeared to be in a little shock.

"Trust me. Harry and I did it all the time. We would each pick different subjects to make our revision notes and then give each other to learn. Then we would pick each other up before the exam. That way we only had to do notes on half of the subjects. Worked all the time." He smirked at her.

Hermione was still staring at him with a slight glare but he knew she was thinking this over in her head. He was sure she had perfect notes so all he really had to do was call out the questions and check her answers with her notes. It was that simple and she knew it. Of course a big plus was that he would get some extra time together with her.

Hermione sat down in front of the small kitchen table with a small huff as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"OK. Let's try it your way Weasley but please put on a shirt before you start." she waved her hand as she looked away with a blush. Ron only smiled to himself as he retrieved a shirt from his room and returned to the small table with her notes held in front of him.

"OK. Let's see. Ahem…Right where should I start?" He spoke to himself as he read over the first few pages. He was right in his assessment that she really did have perfect notes. There was a lot of stuff to memorize but he was sure Hermione had it covered. He looked up to see her drumming her fingers on the table with a disbelieving look on her face.

"Right. Name all the bones in the human hand? And I want locations too." he began clearly with a serious face. Hermione jumped a little with the question but cleared her throat and began to rattle off the answer without stopping. Ron followed from the notes and was amazed that she could memorize all the different names and locations with apparent ease. He nodded as she finished.

"Correct. Now…list all the major internal organs of the upper body and describe in detail the function of each one." he asked with a grin now. He was actually beginning to enjoy this.

Hermione also looked a lot more relaxed as she also had a small smile on her face before starting to spew out all the details of her answer with the same sureness as before. Ron followed her answer as he rose to make two cups of tea. She was still answering the question when he put her cup in front of her. She really had a memory this girl.

She took a deep breath and reached for her mug after finishing but she had a determined look on her face now. Ron was all business as he continued on, even trying to make the questions harder and harder.

And so the two carried on for another hour until Ron stretched his long arms over his head and squinted at the notes in front of him. Time for some fun.

"Ok this is an easy one….listen closely now. What is the largest boner in the male body?" he asked seriously looking up as Hermione's eyes grew wide. "Oh wait hold on…" he said before peeping back down at the notes. "I mean bone…yes…the largest bone in the body." He noted seriously as he looked up again.

Hermione had gone red and held out for a full two seconds before bursting out in a loud hideous laugh as she slapped the table.

"Ron you horrible rude lout! Only you could make a joke like that you prat." she laughed out uncontrollably as Ron eventually joined her with his own chuckles. It was a good few minutes before Hermione had caught herself.

"Oh Ron this has been so wonderful! I wish we could do this every night!" she gushed before sensing that Ron had gone a bit serious. He was now fiddling with the notes as he looked at her.

"I wish I could really see you every day Hermione but after what happened tonight I don't think I will be able to. We don't have much time so I have to be with Harry until this thing is sorted out." He gave a long pause before continuing. "Remember I said I will tell you something when the time is right. Well it might be soon, but I want you focussed on your exams and not distracted ok?" he tried to explain as Hermione stopped him by placing her hand over his on the table.

"It's ok Ron really. I just want you…and Harry to be careful and to be safe doing…whatever you are doing. Don't worry about me. You can tell me whenever you feel is the right time." She told him softly.

Ron placed his other hand over hers and it took all his constraint and will power not to say any more. He would give her the time as he had promised. He gave her hand the smallest of squeezes before withdrawing and standing up. He reached into a bowl that was on the table and fished out a key which he handed to her.

"If it's any consolation, you can come here anytime you want and use my window seat to read or study. You can keep that spare key while I'm gone." He explained with a smile. "Just don't go into my room it's a disaster, plus I have a special charm on it that will repel any beautiful girl from entering." He tried to joke.

"Does that include me?" she asked with a tiny blush forming on her face.

"Oh yes definitely. It was made especially for you Miss. Granger so be warned." He continued with his smile.

Hermione was now standing next to the table but was fidgeting uncomfortably as her blush seemed to deepen a bit. She fiddled with the key in her hand as she glanced at him.

"Um…I know you might not be able to but…if you are I mean…I have something I want to ask you." She stuttered out as Ron became a bit confused but stepped forward in anticipation.

"It's just that I was wondering if you…It's nothing really and I…I…" she never got to finish as the front door suddenly opened and a tired looking Harry stepped loudly into the flat making them jump apart. He immediately saw them and moved forward to take a good look at Ron.

"Wow Ron you look good as new and here I was worried and all." He smiled at them before moving around to get a cup of tea going. "Do I have Hermione here to thank?" he smirked.

Hermione had already moved slowly towards the front door but looked at Harry with a soft smile also.

"It was nothing serious but he should get some rest and change the bandages tomorrow." She said with some authority. "It's late so I should go." She finished with a glance at Ron who took her arm and led her to the door after she bade Harry goodnight.

"You were going to ask me something?" he inquired quietly as he stopped her. She hesitated a fraction but shook her head.

"No it wasn't important. Don't bother about it." She said hurriedly. He was about to protest but she touched his arm and looked up with a worried look.

"Don't forget to be careful until I see you again ok? I will be seeing you again won't I Ron?" she asked a bit desperately. To be truthful Ron had no idea but he nodded.

"I'll come look for you as soon as I get a chance. Please don't worry and concentrate on you exams ok?" he reassured her as best he could. He felt her give his arm a gentle squeeze before she stepped away and headed up the stairs.

Ron watched her disappear before shutting the door and moving to the kitchen table next to Harry who was watching him closely. Ron ignored the look and proceeded to question his partner.

"So tell me what you can and let's see if we can get this bloody mess sorted out as quickly as possible…" he started.

 **o0o**

It was Friday afternoon and Ron was waiting outside one of the buildings where he knew Hermione had just finished her latest exam courtesy of Jeff and Liz who he had just met a few minutes earlier.

He had asked for some time off to check on his target…at least that was the excuse he had used but since the attack on Tuesday they had again come to a dead end and so it was not really hard for him to get a few hours away from the team. He was worried none the less. It seemed as if all the death eaters had suddenly vanished into thin air. Things had gone dead quiet and all their sources, informants and investigations had yielded not a single clue. Kingsley had increased the guard at the Ministry and everyone was on edge.

His real worry however lay with the woman inside the building in front of him. Kingsley and the ASF Head had given him until the end of her exams to drop the revelation bomb and to find a safe way to bring her in for a detailed briefing but he was of two minds on this. While he would be happy to know that she was safe in the hands of the Ministry, he was genuinely apprehensive about suddenly exposing her to the strange world she knew nothing about. Yes she deserved to know the truth about herself and all that she had missed but he couldn't help being worried about her reaction.

As Ron leaned against a low wall, he shut his eyes and sighed to himself. His best hope maybe was that somehow Hermione would turn out to be just an ordinary witch not connected to this blasted prophecy and that she would slowly come to learn and accept the world he lived in and maybe…he could actually get to know her better without anything standing in the way between them. If only it could be that simple.

"Ron!" he heard his named called and looked up a bit too eagerly.

She was walking quickly towards him with a big smile on her face and his heart skipped and jumped within his chest. She was just wearing a light sweater over a white blouse with blue jeans and she looked incredible to him. Before he could think beyond that she had engulfed him in a friendly hug as he gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before moving back and looking at her bright eyes on him.

"What are you doing here? Can you stay long?" she immediately asked as he chuckled.

"I have a few hours before I have to get back. Just thought I would come and see how you are going and maybe take you for something to eat at our favourite café." He informed her with a smile which she returned.

"Great! I have to return a book to my favourite professor but you can come with me and then we can go and eat." She beamed at him before linking her arm around his and pulling him towards her destination.

Ron could not stop smiling as they crossed over a grassy park walking together towards another building close by.

"How are your exams going? Any hard anatomy questions you weren't prepared for?" he smirked at her.

"I only had three exams so far and all were pretty good and no, I was well prepared for my anatomy exams thanks to one annoying and persuasive person." She gave his arm a squeeze as she grinned at him before gazing at his exposed skin.

"You seem to have healed really well Ron." She observed.

"Well I had a great doctor in training see about me and I heal fast remember?" he answered before quickly changing the subject.

"So who is this favourite professor of yours that is lending books to one of his students? I'm already jealous of him." he teased as he looked at her by his side.

"It's a she Ron." She rolled her eyes. "Her name is Dr. Adrianne Hendricks and she really has been good to me for some reason." she informed him.

They hurried up the steps of the old brick building and soon they were walking along a wide tiled corridor. Hermione finally let go of his arm as she stopped in front of an office door then knocked quietly.

"I'll just be a second and then we can go." she told him quickly before the door was opened and she stepped inside while he waited in the silent corridor.

It was indeed not too long before the door reopened and Hermione appeared followed by a surprising young looking woman with a white overcoat who stood by the open door.

"…and you can come by anytime and see me if you need anything Hermione. I'll be here for a while during the summer so please stop by." The woman told Hermione before noticing Ron who was leaning against the wall opposite.

"Oh is this your friend you mentioned." She asked with a friendly voice as Hermione waved at him with a small blush.

"Yes this is Ron Weasley who is living downstairs from us." She indicated to the other woman. "Ron this is Dr. Hendricks my favourite teacher." She introduced the petit woman as Ron stepped forward to greet her formally.

As he reached for her hand, the woman visibly tensed up for a second before shaking his hand while staring at him with wide eyes. A buzz ran up his arm and he felt a slight tremble in her hand as he returned the look.

"It's nice to meet you Ron." The woman said quietly as she released his hand. "It's good to know that Hermione has someone like you to look out for her." She finished with a whisper as Ron finally understood.

Dr. Hendricks was an esteemed doctor of medicine and an accomplished teacher at the university who had always been good to Hermione and Ron now knew at least one of the reasons why. Adrienne Hendricks was living in the muggle world…but the good doctor was also most definitely a witch.

 **o0o**

Ron was still turning over his recent discovery in his head as they entered the small café and sat down on a table in the back. Hermione was only happy that he had met her teacher and was oblivious to the interchange that had occurred between them outside her office. He quickly shook it out of his mind as his attention turned to the pretty girl in front of him.

Soon they were chatting and laughing aimlessly and Ron wondered how at ease he felt with this girl who had a temper to rival his and a studious temperament that would normally drive anyone batters. She was bright beyond measure and rigid in her beliefs but for some reason she appealed to him on every level. It truly was a mystery to him.

As they lingered over their meal, Ron had a strong urge to forget about his job and just continue here for as long as she allowed him to. He had no idea when next he would get to see her and when it did happen, he would have to complete the hardest part of his mission. He was about to reach for her hand when the front doorbell clanged open. Amy Collins had suddenly entered the cafe and was making a beeline for their table with a resolute look on her face.

She stopped suddenly in front of them, gave Ron a brief smile and a nod before turning to Hermione.

"Hi Hermione can I talk to you for a minute…in private please." She asked as she glanced at Ron who took the hint graciously. Hermione frowned at Amy in surprise and concern but remained quiet.

"Oh sure…I was just about to go the washroom actually so you two can go ahead." He indicated before standing and heading to the loo where he made sure to take his time. He had no idea what was going on between the two girls but he really did not wish to get involved at this stage.

After washing and drying his hands for a third time, he finally made his way back outside but stopped inside the small passageway to make sure that all was clear. Amy had just given Hermione a small hug before turning and heading back outside as quickly as she entered. Ron slowly took his seat and chanced a look at his friend who now appeared to be a bit nervous as she twiddled with the spoon in her teacup.

"Is everything all right? I don't want to pry but is anything the matter with Amy?" he asked with some concern. Hermione only shook her head but was not looking at him.

"Yes…yes. Everything is fine Ron….fine." she stuttered out as Ron now become really concerned.

"What is it Hermione? Is there anything I can do?" he continued.

Hermione finally looked up at him and let out a deep breath before dropping the spoon with a tiny clatter. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it to bite her lip for a moment. Ron was about to ask his question again when she suddenly gripped the edge of the table and looked directly at him.

"Ron…will you…will you be my date for the graduation ball next Saturday…please?"

 **o0o**

 _ **AN: Just for your information, I actually thought about leaving out the graduation ball chapter to come next but I just couldn't do it. It will be the last real chance at a bit of fluff before all the drama starts so I reconsidered and rewrote parts of this chapter. Sorry for the delay in posting but blame it on the holiday season. Thanks again for all your reviews and kind words and a Merry Christmas to everyone!**_


	11. The Night of Dance

_**AN: Happy New Year everyone and sorry for the delay in getting back to this story but here it is. The next chapter will be the end of Part 1 so please enjoy the light moments here as the real drama starts soon. It's a long chapter to make up for my delay so find a good seat.**_

 **Chapter 10: The Night of Dance.**

" _Listen Hermione, I know James wanted to ask you to the ball but he knows that you do not want to go and the stupid blind fool will never ask me instead." Amy started in a rush of breath._

 _Hermione was a bit taken aback by her friend's admission but she quickly put it together._

" _I'm sorry Amy but James is just a friend to me. I just don't really see myself with him in any other way. You can ask him to go with you if that's what you are getting at." She gladly informed her friend but Amy just sighed loudly._

" _He's not going to go with me either if he knows that you won't be there." she said with some surety before looking at her with some hesitation._

" _Are you going to ask Ron to go with you?" she asked suddenly and Hermione felt her heart jump._

" _What?...I don't…what do you mean?" she finally stammered out._

" _Because if you are not going to ask him then…I will." Amy informed her with a nod as Hermione surprisingly felt a sudden dread come upon her. The blond girl seemed determined to explain._

" _I'm sorry Hermione but I had to find out. You see, if you ask him then I'm sure James will go with me. It sounds awful but I can live with that. But if you really don't want to go then I thought I could ask Ron instead. He's nice and good fun plus he's not bad looking either." She smiled and Hermione felt the sudden urge to slap her._

" _I know you two have been close these past few weeks but I wasn't too sure how you felt about him. That's why I want to ask you first. I hope I'm not putting you in an awkward position or rushing you, but since he's here at the moment I thought I could…you know…ask him." She paused looking at Hermione hopefully. "…Unless you are going to ask him of course." She repeated quietly._

 _It never entered her mind before, but the idea of somebody else going to the ball with Ron somehow upset her terribly. To be honest, she had been more than toying with the idea of asking him herself but maybe this was the final push she needed._

" _Sorry Amy but…yes I am going to ask him…"_

 **o0o**

Clad only in her underwear, Hermione now lay in her bed playing over the brief conversation with Amy that led to her current situation. She had showered and shampooed and cleaned her bushy hair hours ago. The little black dress and heels she had borrowed from Liz lay untouched. She tried to convince herself that it was all Amy's fault but she knew that was a lie as she had already considered asking Ron to the ball a full week before. In fact if it wasn't for Harry she probably would not have chicken out the way she had in the end that night when Ron got injured.

She then tried to lay the blame squarely on her non-existent date at the moment but she also knew that was being totally unfair. After his initial surprise at her sudden invitation, Ron had eagerly told her that he would gladly take her to the ball but that he could not guarantee his availability on the night. She had pretended to be indifferent and had agreed to go only if he could make it back in time. He had given his utmost promise to try and get a message to her so she would not have to wait but she had not heard from him all week and now she was lying in her bed feeling a bit forlorn and angry with herself for getting worked up over a stupid dance ball.

To be truthful, it wasn't so much missing the ball itself that had her in this state but the fact that she would not get to see him again made her sick with sorrow and worry. She had simply missed him this week. Even with her exams to see about, she had looked forward to just being with him again. She knew that he had been away more and more since her last day of classes and she suspected that whatever he and Harry were working on would soon come to an end and that he was going to disappear out of her life just as suddenly as he had appeared. The thought frightened her silly.

Turning on her side, she again looked at the green chess figure on her bedside table and shook her head. She should not be here pining away over a man she hardly knew. It was not in her nature to be this way…but she just couldn't help herself. With a determination to be strong, she turned away from the small figure and faced her window resolutely but hardly got a chance to clear her head when some kind of small animal landed on her open sill and rapped loudly on the window frame making her jump off the bed with a frightened shout.

Hermione had instinctively moved her hands to cover her exposed chest but soon realised that the tiny animal appeared harmless. Moving slowly closer, she thought she recognized what it was. Was that an _owl_ in her window? What in the world was it doing here she asked herself when her heart had settled down.

The tiny owl was now raising its short right leg at her and she now noticed what appeared to be a piece of paper attached with a colourful string. Was she asleep and dreaming she wondered for a second? This had to be the weirdest thing to happen to her but for some unexplained reason she slowly reached forward holding her breath and quickly pulled on the paper which came away easily in her hand. The little owl gave a happy hoot and she could have sworn that it nodded in her direction before turning and flying away in a rush of feathers.

Hermione stared out of her window for a full minute before recovering her senses to look down at the folded paper in her shaking hand. Her curious mind was now fully aroused and she quickly unfolded the paper and eagerly glanced at the contents as a loud gasp left her surprised throat.

It was a note from Ron! A real honest to goodness note from her missing date! Her mind was reeling with surprise as she scanned the contents.

" _Ok firstly I hope you were not too shocked or frightened by my unorthodox means of communication and that you had the resolve and bravery to actually retrieve this note from my owl. Secondly, yes he is my owl who has been trained to deliver messages in times of desperation which I am now calling this situation._

 _Thirdly, I wish to sincerely apologise for not contacting you sooner but I was not in a position to do so until late tonight as you can tell and this was the only means to get a message to you. (It's a long story which I will try to explain later)._

 _Lastly, if you are still willing and not inclined to knock my sorry head off, I will be showing up at your door around 10:30 pm all dressed up (tie and all) ready to take you to the ball. We might just catch the last dance but I'm game if you are. If not, we can just stay in and do whatever fancies you._

 _Yours regretfully,_

 _A sorry but hopeful Ron._

Hermione sat on her bed and reread the whole note with one of the biggest grins on her face. She had always know that he was strange and unpredictable but this was…unbelievable and…amazing! He had an owl trained to deliver messages! How could he have done something like that? And he was coming to take her to the ball after all! ...or to do whatever she fancied he had said. A wicked thought flashed across her dirty mind but she quickly put it out.

Hermione glanced at her clock and jumped up in a panic. It was now 10:15 and she was nowhere ready to go out. She quickly freshened up her makeup which was not hard to do as she hardly wore any in the first place, then spent another ten minutes on her hair which was a lot harder. She had just thrown on her dress when there was a loud knocking on her front door. With her heart beating a lot faster than she wanted, she rushed outside and opened the door in a hurry.

And there he was. Breathing hard as if he had just run all the way to her door. He looked good…very good indeed. He was wearing a black suit over a very light blue shirt and a dark blue tie strung loosely around his neck. His hair had been tidy it seemed but has gotten messed up on the way over. His eyes wandered over her as they both hesitated at the door.

"Hey…you look great…I'm sorry about the late…erm…did you get my message?" he finally asked with a slight panic in his voice that brought her out of her trance.

"Gosh yes! Yes I got it! I was so surprised Ron but it was amazing. An owl! I don't know how you did that…and now you're here and…you look good too and I'm so glad to see you…" she rambled out knowing that she sounded a bit stupid but not caring at all. When he finally smiled at her, she stepped forward and gave him a hug that she had held back since seeing him.

"Can I come in now and try to apologize properly?" he laughed as he looked down at her. She was still barefooted and he loomed over her head.

Pulling herself away she fought the blush that reached her face and laughed with him as they entered the flat. She fiddled with her dress as she watched him look around before turning and looking at her again.

"I'm really sorry Hermione but I was up north in Scotland with Harry and the…team. A lot was happening and I wasn't sure until today that I could leave and come here but I had no way of contacting you. I hope I didn't startle you too much with the owl but it was the only way to send a message to you in time." He started to explain before moving to the couch and motioning her to sit with him. His face had turned a bit serious as she waited for him to continue.

"I'm not supposed to use my owl but I trust you to keep it secret. It's all part of the…thing I have to tell you about." He stated softly as she remembered his promise to explain all after her exams.

"I told you its ok Ron. You don't have to tell me anything once you and Harry are being careful and safe. That's all I really want to know." She told him but he shook his head slowly.

"No. I have to tell you…but not tonight. Tonight is your night Ms. Granger. Whatever you want. Are we still going to the ball?" he asked as his smile returned to warm her.

"Well it's late but since we're both dressed I think we should still go if just to show our faces." She answered.

"Well then you have to see about this bloody tie. I'm hopeless with it." He fingered the tie draped around his neck as she rolled her eyes and shifted closer to him on the couch.

"Ok just hold still for a minute while I take care of it." She told him before proceeding to fix his tie in the proper manner. Being this close to him made her surprisingly nervous considering the fact that she had just given him a hug, but she liked touching him and she liked the unique aroma that always drifted around him. She was aware of his gaze on her but she also liked that.

"You look nice…I mean…I told you that already didn't I?" he blurted out as his ears slowly turned pink. Her warmth spread to her face now as she struggled to get his tie right.

"Yes you did and thank you." She laughed nervously before finishing and patting his broad shoulders. He was still staring at her but quickly cleared his throat.

"Well I guess we should be going. I still own you a dance at least." He chuckled as she stood and nodded. "Ah…where exactly are we going by the way?" he asked her.

"It's in one of the school halls. We can walk there so it shouldn't be long." She answered before retrieving a light shawl, her heels and bag from her room.

Hermione was now feeling nervous about a completely different silly subject. As they walked side by side along the sidewalk, her worry was compounded by the light sure steps of her companion next to her. It was stupid of her but she had to tell him.

"I have another secret you should know about." she informed him suddenly. She watched his eyebrows shift ever so quickly as he smiled at her in the dim light.

"Oh? Better than the one about your dancing activities in your room? Tell me please?" he laughed out softly. She moved closer to him to hide the shame on her face.

"Well it's related in a way and it's stupid, but I should tell you before we get there." she started before sighing loudly. "It's just that well…I can't dance Ron…I mean together…with a boy…I just never had any real practice and I suck at it." She stuttered out shamefully as she looked at the sidewalk under her.

Ron suddenly burst out in laughter but stopped to catch himself. This only made her feel worse and she continued to stare ahead until she felt both of his hands rest gently on each of her shoulders. She looked up and saw him smiling.

"I can't believe Hermione Granger sucks at something." he teased but gripped her shoulders tightly as she tried to move away.

"Listen to me Hermione…." His gently voice stilled her and she settled under his hands as his blue eyes stared into her.

"If you trust me you don't have to worry about it. You have the easy bit. You just have to follow me and we'll be fine and if not…well who cares. As long as we enjoy ourselves right? And I know that _I_ will." He told her with such sincerity that a calm suddenly fell over her.

Hermione had no words to describe how she felt at the moment. All she could do was grin at him in silly adoration. Before she made a complete fool of herself, she quickly linked her arm through his and pulled him along, all her nerves from before simply evaporated by his kind words.

"I do trust you but you sound so sure of yourself Mr. Weasley. So who taught you to dance?" she asked in a light voice now. She felt him tighten up slightly and looked up as he cleared his throat again.

"Actually it was an ex-girlfriend. Her name is Lavender." He made a funny face as he mentioned the name but Hermione was suddenly more than interested in his answer.

"She loved to dress up and go out to dinner and dancing. I loved the dinner parts obviously but the dancing was not really my thing. Anyway after a while and after a lot of practice, I got pretty good at it and at the end…well it didn't bother me as much. I actually got to like it in a way." He shook his head and looked at her.

"Enough of my history. If we don't hurry, all this talk of dancing will go to waste." He told her with a grin.

Hermione wanted to find out more about the lucky girl who had obviously been a major part of his life but any clear thoughts sailed out of her head when Ron suddenly reached for her hand and pulled her along while chatting away seemingly oblivious to her blushing face. It felt so natural to be holding his hand that she soon forgot about ex-girlfriends and just went along with the light feeling in her chest.

 **o0o**

The music was playing softly in the background as they entered the hall. The lights were turned down and there was an open space in the middle of the large room where a few couples were swaying to the music. Hermione strained her eyes looking around the tables that surrounded the dance floor with the hope of finding her friends among the crowd. She had reluctantly released Ron's hand on entering the hall in an effort to avoid unnecessary questions but she now felt a bit ungrounded in the dimly lit room.

"Over there!" she heard Ron by her side as he gently put his hand on her back and guided her over to a table on the far side where she could see some of her friends sitting. Apart from some of her classmates, Liz and Jeff were sitting closely together as expected but Amy was by herself with a blank look on her face which turned into a bright smile as she saw them approaching. James was missing from the table.

"You finally made it!" she exclaimed as they found some empty seats across from her after greeting everyone.

"Everyone thought you changed your mind but you're really here Hermione and you look great! You both look great!" the blond girl gushed.

"Yeah and James did not seem pleased at all when you didn't show but he's just acting like his normal moody self." Liz chipped in on her right as Amy gave her a glare.

"So where is prat the…I mean James anyway?" Ron asked Amy with a curious look.

"Oh he's off sulking somewhere, I'm sure he'll turn up soon." She answered vaguely as she turned to Hermione. "You missed all the speeches and dinner and most of the dancing, not that I got to do much of that thanks to James being a real mop but I'm glad Ron was able to bring you even if it is just for a little while." She finished sincerely.

"Thanks Amy. I'm sorry I'm late but Ron was working remember? I'm just glad to be here…"

Hermione was about to continue when James suddenly appeared and sat down next to her. He barely glanced at Ron before leaning towards her.

"So you finally decided to grace us with your presence? I thought you had come to your senses and stayed away like you _normally_ do." he stressed the last bit harshly.

She was a bit taken aback by his words and considered an appropriate response but Ron had already put his hand lightly on her shoulder as he leaned back in his chair.

"Hey James. Nice to see you too mate. Sorry we're late but I just got back into London tonight. Amy was just telling us what a lovely time she's been having with you." he said sarcastically before she put her hand on his leg to stop him from saying anything further. James shot him a quick glare but turned quickly back to her.

"Can I speak to you privately Hermione?" he asked with some restraint but still surprising her with his request.

"We just got here James and Ron and I haven't even had a chance to…" she started firmly but James suddenly stood and held out his hand surprising her again.

"Then let's go and dance. We can talk on the dance floor." He stated plainly as he waited impatiently on her.

This was not how her night was supposed to be going. All she wanted was to spend some time with her friends and hopefully get a chance to dance with Ron before the ball ended. She certainly did not want to spend any alone time with James talking about his issues whatever they were but he was still her friend and it would appear rude to refuse. As she hesitated Amy was the one who broke the tension.

"Oh just go ahead Hermione and put him out of his misery. _I_ will be dancing with Ron in the meanwhile." she stated firmly as she proceeded to drag her poor date out of his chair and onto the floor. Ron gave her a sympathetic look as he followed Amy reluctantly it seemed.

This was going from bad to worse. Not only was she stuck with James but her date had just gone off with a beautiful blond on the dance floor. She had a strong urge to scream at the man currently at her side but sighed quietly to herself as he led her onto to the floor.

James Howell III was not a dancer in any sense of the word. She already knew this but her mood only worsened as he held her stiffly at arm's length and imperceptibly moved his legs a few inches either side as the music played along. Hermione watched as Ron and Amy moved smoothly together and gritted her teeth as Amy grinned at him from a lot closer than she would have liked them to be.

"So I thought you never liked these affairs. At least you said so every time I asked you before." She heard her partner say. "Or is it that Weasley has the capability to make you do something that you really do not want to?"

This was getting stupid and she had to put an end to it quickly. It was a good thing that they were practically standing still on the floor or she would have stopped him completely.

"Listen James, this is silly. No one is forcing me to do anything that I don't want to and it is absolutely beneath you to suggest such a thing. I am here with Ron because I want to. I am sorry but whatever you are feeling is misplaced. You are a good friend but that is all. Do you understand?" she asked in the hope of quickly ending this horrible situation.

She watched as James slowly took in her words in and she relaxed a bit as he seemed to calm down and eased his hold on her slightly.

"What about when he finishes his assignment Hermione and goes back to Cornwall or wherever he came from? Do you really expect to have any relationship with him then?" he asked with a knowing glint as she felt a sudden sadness at his perceptive words.

"That is for Ron and me to discuss privately James. We are now just starting out as friends so you may be right but it is not your concern." she stated firmly but as she glanced at Ron and Amy again, she realised that she was wasting valuable time.

"For what it's worth James, take my advice. Amy really likes you and I am sure you know this. Give her a chance and don't waste your time on something that you will never have. You may be right about Ron but at least I can have tonight and right now you are making me lose precious time away from him so thanks for the dance but I have to get to my date." She finished with a flourish and turned away from him before heading straight to the other couple on the floor.

Feeling a little emboldened from her talk out with James, Hermione approached Ron and Amy with a firm determination to make every minute of what was left of the night count. Ron looked up with a surprised face as she tapped Amy on her shoulder.

"Thanks for taking care of him Amy but can we actually get to dance with the person we came with?" she informed the startled girl while pointing behind her. "Your guy is over there thinking things over so go get him before he confuses himself even more."

Amy glanced at James then smiled at her before running off with a quick thanks. Hermione turned to a smiling Ron and her nerves suddenly returned as he took her hand and drew her closer to him.

"I must tell you that whatever you were doing with prat the III over there was definitely not dancing on any level. It looked like the two towers on the London bridge swaying in the breeze." He laughed at her as she hid her face in his shirt.

"Don't forget that I can't dance to save my life so stop making jokes like that." She told him seriously but giggled after anyway. It was so easy to become relaxed with him no matter how apprehensive she felt about the situation. He switched hands placing one behind her lower back and tugged her gently making her look up at him. She placed her left hand on his shoulder as she waited.

"Remember I said you have to trust me so relax Granger and enjoy yourself." He grinned. "Now the trick to dancing with a partner as I have learned is that the closer you are, the easier it is." He informed her with a smirk.

"That sounds like a horrible pick up line Mr. Weasley." She returned but did not resist as he pulled her closer to him.

"I'm serious. If your hips are close to me, you just have to follow my movement. Our upper bodies can be apart but it will be easier. Just thrust me will you?" he grinned down on her before drawing her even closer. Closer than she had ever imagined with anyone but not enough to be labelled as rude or overly sexual to anyone watching.

The song playing was an old one that she barely remembered but it had a fair beat to it and as Ron began to move, her body automatically responded to his. His hand behind her back guided her effortlessly it seemed and soon she felt like she was gliding along with him and it felt…brilliant! She felt so alive and womanly and he smelt so wonderful!

She had no idea how it happened but she was soon resting her head comfortably between his chin and shoulder. She felt him relax even further and she closed her eyes wanting this night to never end. The song however came to an abrupt end but he did not move to release her and she stayed up against him.

'You want to continue?" she heard him ask softly next to her and all she could muster was a nod as the next song started up.

In the middle of the dance, Ron let go of her right hand and placed both hands on her waist making her wind her arms around his neck. She automatically leaned against him and drew a deep breath.

"I can't believe I'm dancing with you." she blurted out inadvertently and he chuckled next to her.

"I told you it was easy. You are doing more than fine actually…" he spoke softly but she stopped him from continuing.

"It's all because of you Ron. You are a good dancer but…that's not what I meant. A little while ago I thought that I would not even get to see you and now here we are. It's a bit surreal but I'm not complaining." She explained with a smile. She was even getting better with her flirting. She closed her eyes again and was about to wrap her arms tighter around him when the music stopped and the lights came on in the room.

 _No! No! Not so soon! She pleaded in her head. I didn't get enough time!_

Ron was staring at her with a bit of a guilty look on his face.

"Well I promised you the last dance and it looks like that was it. I wish it could have been longer Hermione I really do." he said regretfully but all she saw was her handsome date who had taken her to the ball and made her feel like the luckiest girl in the room. She was still in his arms and she used the opportunity to indeed wrap her arms around him and press her face against his chest.

"Oh Ron I'm just glad you came and brought me here. I might never get another chance like this and I will never get such a wonderful dancing partner like you again so thank you for being here with me…and teaching me how to dance." She finished on a light note feeling truly happy.

She finally pulled away from him only but his look was the same.

"It has been my pleasure Hermione. I only wish we could have come earlier. You deserve a night to remember before…" here he stalled as he let go of her. She waited for him to continue as he appeared concerned about something serious.

She suspected he was thinking about his promise to tell her about his work and… _Was he leaving that soon she wondered_? Her chest suddenly hurt with the thought that she might not be seeing him for a while but she put on a brave face and tried desperately to think of another subject. However, before she could utter a word, Ron had suddenly changed his mood again and his grin was back as he faced her. He was strangely pointing at her feet.

"How good are you with those heels on?" He asked her suddenly with a pondering look. She was completely taken aback by his question.

"Huh?...what?...my heels…what are you taking about Ron?" she asked in confusion but he was already waving his hands.

"No worry. You could always take them off I suppose. Right, let's say our goodbyes and get out of here." He rushed her along to the table where their friends were seated. Before she could process anything, they was walking outside towards the tube station and her hand was again firmly entrenched in his. While she was not at all displeased with the situation, she did not like being kept in the dark. She pulled on his hand and stopped.

"Ron it's almost midnight. I would like to know where you are taking me." She huffed half-heartedly but he was still smiling at her.

"Hey you trusted me enough to let me dance with you and I enjoyed myself immensely but it was not enough...so trust me again and let me really take you dancing this time." he announced brightly.

Hermione was beyond being surprised by this man but she did not want to make him feel obligated in any fashion through no fault of his own.

"Ron you don't have to do this. I had a great time tonight already and while I would dearly love you to keep…dancing with you, it would be ok if we just spent some time together." She knew she was blushing under her scant makeup but she didn't really care at the moment. She also didn't care if he suspected any selfish and suggestive motives behind her words but he seemed unperturbed. In fact he had a distinct twinkle in his blue eyes that was killing her.

"Well I strongly suggest that we can do both. You misunderstood me. This is not about dancing like back there. No…in your own words I'm talking about the jump up and down dancing…the crazy movements all over the place dancing. You know the kind. You said it loosens you up and boy have I got the place for you. Just trust me Ms. Closet Nightclub Dancer." He laughed out.

Hermione felt a shiver go through her body as he once again pulled her into the station and soon they were on their way into central London. She was flabbergasted…and scared…and confused…and totally fine with whatever he was planning. She had even given up on asking him any more questions as they rode along the central line.

Ron led her out at the Tottenham Court Station and soon they were standing outside a busy night club with a line of people waiting outside. She finally knew where they were.

"Ron this the Roxy, one of the most popular dance clubs in London. We can't get inside there." She tried to slow him down but to her dismay Ron tightened his grip on her hand, bypassed the long line of people and just casually strode up to the bulky man standing in front of the door.

"Hey how's it going tonight Slim. I see you still have the hardest job in London." Ron grinned at the man who first scowled at him then gaped in surprise as he recognized the red haired man.

"Ron! Why you lousy scoundrel you! What the hell are you doing back here? It's great to see you mate." he exclaimed as he patted Ron loudly on his back.

"Just happened to be in the neighbourhood and I thought I might visit and finish the night here that's all." He answered as he pulled her alongside him. "This is Hermione and she likes to dance." He clarified as she pinched Ron's arm with a glare. The hulk of a man named Slim looked at her with a big smile.

"Nice to meet you there Hermione." He winked at Ron. "Good for you mate. Go on in. Rob is on the floor and will be glad to see you and Pete is on bar tonight I think." The big man clapped Ron on his back again before opening the heavy door and ushering them inside the foyer. Hermione could not resist satisfying her curiosity.

"Ron…how in heavens...I don't understand…" she started but was at a loss for words.

"I used to work here for a little while believe it or not. It's a long story Hermione but…" he gave her that look again and she shook her head with a grin.

"…Right. It's part of that story you still can't tell me. Don't worry I won't ask again." She smiled at him but quickly held his arm as he swung open the inner door.

The music hit her in her face as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Bon Jovi was blasting out on the crowded floor to the left and she immediately felt the inner stirrings of excitement. Ron was leading them to the right pass the large circular bar to the sitting area. He stopped to greet a well-dressed man who gave him a large hug and said a few words into his ear. She still couldn't hear well over the music but she shook his hand silently before he led them to a private booth in the back where she sat with her heart beating in time to the music it seemed. Ron leaned over to her ear.

"Wait here. I'll be back." He shouted before heading off to the bar.

Hermione looked around and took in the place. It was dark but she could make out people in various stages of sobriety. Food and drinks were scattered all over the tables and the chatter seemed as loud as the music which was hammering away on the other side of the bar. Was she really here she had to ask herself in glee? She still couldn't believe it. She laughed loudly by herself but it was silently absorbed into the noise. Ronald Weasley would always be her biggest mystery but for now she would just sit back and enjoy the ride.

He suddenly appeared carrying a tray of drinks which he dropped on the table in their booth. He threw off his jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves and loosened his tie as he grinned at her. She could only gape up at him with a burning need as he leaned forward.

"Right let's get this started…" He said loudly pushing a shot glass in front of her. "…One of these straight up then a gulp or two of that cocktail and then we're off." He instructed as he waited for her with his shot in his hand.

Hermione already knew she was in too deep so without thinking too hard she threw her head back and swallowed the shot. Ron then followed up with a few hurried gulps of another drink which he passed to her with a daring grin. She grinned back as she finished the drink in one large mouthful.

She held onto Ron as he led her on to the dance floor. Her eyes and throat were now burning with the alcohol but the music already sounded a lot more infectious than before. She was already swaying to the beat as she leaned up into his ear and shouted.

"I can't believe I'm doing this but it feels great!" she laughed out as he nodded.

"I can't either but I will follow whatever you do so just go for it." He laughed with her and she let herself go.

She would never know if it was the alcohol or the release of hidden stress or the sheer excitement of being in the pulsating crowd. Maybe it was just being here with Ron…or a combination of all, but she felt lighter and happier than she had ever been in her life. Whatever it was, Hermione no longer had to hide in her room and it mattered not that she was prancing about in front of her friend. She just let it all out on that floor that night. She was soon drenched in sweat as she moved nonstop to the music, laughing and singing all the while looking at Ron as he followed along just as crazily.

Time seemed to stop inside the club and on the dance floor. It was just the two of them having a crazy wonderful time together. She could forget about tomorrow and the thought of being back to her lonesome self without the mysterious and wonderful freckled redhead in front of her…

 **o0o**

It was just on 2:00am when the two stumbled out of the club laughing at each other. Hermione had her heels in her hands and Ron was carrying his jacket draped over his shoulder. They were both a little giddy headed and she still had a high from all the music and the few drinks that she had consumed. Slim had called a taxi for them but she needed the time to clear her head before she did something that she would maybe regret later.

"So what was that backstreet guys song again? I liked that one." Ron chuckled as he held her from stumbling.

"Yeah I could tell from your crazy dancing…and it's the backstreet _boys_." She laughed at him.

"Hey I was rocking my body. That's what the song was about not so?" He grinned and they both convulsed in a laughing fit as she leaned up against a short wall. She was exhausted but it was a wonderful feeling.

"I have to rest Ron. My feet are killing me." She informed him lightly then let out a small gasp as Ron suddenly lifted her up and placed her on the wall. He was suddenly so close to her.

"There you can rest for a while. Here let me help." He moved away slightly and took one of her feet in his warm hands and began to rub it gently. Hermione went quiet with flutters all over her body now. She wondered if this man knew how he was affecting her. She reached forward to brush his hair off his forehead.

"Ron I have no idea where to begin to thank you for this perfect night. I've had such a wonderful time and it has been all because of you." She gushed out with a blush on her sweaty face. He looked up at her with a contented face.

"I'm glad you had a good time Hermione you deserve it. I had a great time too and I know it was because of you." He told her sincerely. She fished around to find a topic to talk about as he was still close up and it was affecting her rational thinking.

"If my parents could only see me now they would never believe it." She giggled. "Barefoot at 2 in the morning somewhere in London…" she stopped in alarm as she suddenly remembered something important.

"Oh my gosh Ron! I promised my parents I would have lunch with them tomorrow!" then she realised her other problem. "Oh no. Will I be able to see you after? I won't go if I can't. You can't leave without saying goodbye! You just can't Ron!" she finished in a blind panic.

Ron released her foot and steadied her by holding her arms lightly now. He stared at her calmly.

"Relax Hermione I am not going anywhere. We still have to have our talk remember?" he said softly as she felt herself calm down a bit. "Tell you what. You visit your parents and then we can have dinner at my flat tomorrow night. I'll ask Harry to come and we can have a nice meal before we explain…a few things together. How's that sound to you?" he asked softly rubbing her arms.

Hermione felt a little ashamed for her outburst but the mention of Harry made her realize that whatever Ron had to say to her was serious enough to warrant a backup. She wasn't too pleased that they wouldn't be alone together but she couldn't complain so she nodded her approval.

"Ok good." Ron nodded sounding a bit relieved as he checked his watch. "Let's get you home quickly as you still should get enough sleep." He reasoned as the taxi car pulled up to the curb.

Twenty minutes later, they were slowly climbing the stairs up to her flat and Hermione was sure that Ron could hear her heart beating loudly in the silent stairwell. She was going to see him again in less than 24 hours so she wasn't too sure how to exactly say goodbye. She would just leave it to him she finally decided.

As she reached the landing, she paused and turned around to face him. He was a step below so they were more closely matched in height. She fished around in her bag for the door key.

"Well…thanks for everything Ron…I guess I better get to bed so…I'll see you tomorrow." She sounded like a nervous teenager but she couldn't help herself. Ron just smiled and leaned forward to give her a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Goodnight Hermione and have a good day tomorrow. I'll see you soon ok?" he told her but stayed still as if waiting for her to turn and move to her door.

For some ungodly reason Hermione knew she could not settle for a kiss on the cheek. This night was too special and he was too nice for it to end like this. Drawing on her strength that was probably fuelled by the remnants of a few drinks and just sheer bravery, she took a step forward and kissed him quickly on his lips before spinning around and sprinting to her door which she opened in a flash. She chanced a glance at him just before she moved inside. He was still standing in the same place with a smile on his face.

She paused to return his smile and raised her hand quickly to give him a small wave.

"Goodnight Ron. Sleep well." she said softly as she disappeared inside her flat.

 **o0o**


	12. The One

**Chapter 11: The One**

Ron awoke to a dull pain in his left arm. He swore softly into his pillow as he stretched his arm out to relieve the stinging sensation that was probably caused by sleeping heavily on it during the night. When the pain remained constant after a minute, he turned his head and his eyes popped wide open in fear. Rolling over and grabbing his wand from the side table in one motion, he tumbled off the bed and crouched low surveying his surroundings with the worst expectations…but there was nothing. At least nothing that he could see.

Finally sure that it was safe, he stood up and rubbed his arm slowly. Maybe it was just a cramp from sleeping he thought but deep down he had a nasty feeling that something was wrong. Glancing at his watch, he knew that he had slept in late after a long night with Hermione. With that thought his eyes again widened in fear. Hermione! Shit! Was she in danger? He was just about to sprint out the flat when he remembered that she was probably at her parents in Hampstead and that his fear was perhaps unfounded and most likely due to his personal paranoia. Still…it would not hurt to check upstairs he told himself. His arm was still throbbing after all.

Before he could make another move, the communication shield on his table rang out with a shrill and Ron nearly jumped out of his pyjama pants. His heart was still beating wildly as Harry's voice rang out loudly in a panic.

"Ron! Ron are you there? Shit Ron get up we don't have much time." He literally shouted as Ron finally answered.

"Harry what's the matter?" he asked hurriedly, again expecting the worst….and it was.

"Ron thank god! Listen carefully I don't have much time. The ministry has been attacked and everything has gone to hell here. We just got back from Scotland but it looks like we were too late…hold on…" there was a brief silence on Harry's end while Ron waited holding his breath.

"Ron…we think they have the full list…where is Hermione? You have to get her and make sure she's safe…Ron?" he asked hurriedly. Ron's heart was now hammering in his chest as he realised that this was possibly the worst time for this to happen.

"She not here Harry. She went to visit her parents. Fuck! They know the address I'm sure. I'm heading over there now!" he informed his partner while pulling on his jeans and packing his bag at the same time.

"Right. When you have her, do not…I repeat…do not bring her in until I can find out more about our situation here. Take her to the last safe house we used together and wait for me to contact you. Understand?" he waited for the confirmation. Ron was already dressed and ready.

"Got it. Last safe house we used. Wait for you to contact me. I'm on my way. Take care mate and tell my family to keep safe too." He shouted as he threw the shield in his bag and apparated out with a crack.

 **o0o**

Ron landed two houses down from the Grangers behind a thick hedge near the roadway edge. It was a big risk in broad daylight but one he felt was necessary. Luckily there was no one around to notice his sudden appearance. Keeping low, he moved slowly and silently towards the house where he had visited once before. His mind urged him to hurry but his training had taught him to be cautious and to be wary at times like this. As he came into viewing distance of the house, his caution was rewarded by the sight of a tall man dressed in dark robes standing guard next to the tree that was in front alongside the driveway where a vehicle was parked. _Shit! Shit! Was he too late?_

Ron was already calculating various plans in his head but they all pointed to him taking out the guard as quickly as possible. Using the hedges which lined the property borders as cover, he almost crawled along until he was within striking distance. Using the tree line to block his approach from the death eater, Ron stood and moved silently behind the guard before stunning him with a softly muttered spell. He caught the man before he hit the ground and dragged him under the nearest hedge tied and gagged.

Moving quickly to one of the front windows, he dared a peek and almost lost his control at what he was seeing. There were two more men dressed in black and they were holding Hermione against a table as she struggled to escape. Again, he was already calculating his choices but the muffled screams that he could hear instantly made up his mind for him. He swung around and headed for the front door. _Nothing like the direct approach he told himself._

Swinging the door silently open, he let himself in without a sound. The two men were in the small kitchenette next to the large kitchen and they were having some fun it seemed. He moved closer and waited, flattened against a dividing wall but no one else seemed to be on the ground floor.

"Now now pretty mudblood. All we have to do is wait a few minutes before the rest come along but we can have some fun in the meanwhile can't we?" the smaller one on the right cackled as Hermione gave a small whimper that almost broke his resolve. He had to move fast before the _rest_ really came along. The men were luckily facing away from him so he had a good shot at not being detected.

As he gripped his wand tighter, the man suddenly crumpled down on one knee as Hermione kicked him square on in his bullocks. _Good for you girl!_

"Get away from me you filthy pig!" she screamed before the other man on the left gave her a clout and covered her mouth with his dirty hand.

"Why you nasty stinking mudblood bitch! How dare you hit me!" the smaller one now shouted as he glared at the squirming girl. He took a step forward and raised his hand above his head to strike her.

Ron was already half way to the table moving swiftly and silently forward with his wand raised. Before the man could strike down Ron delivered a stunner spell to the back of his head while grabbing the long hair of the other man with his left hand. He jerked the head back forcefully as he swivelled to his left sending another spell right into his exposed neck. The man fell with a thud on the ground with his mouth spilling blood from the spell that hit him.

Hermione was frantically screaming as she tried to get out from under the smaller man who had fallen forward on top of her. Ron pushed the body away and clamped his large hand over her mouth. She was still fighting and squirming but he held her fast. Tears were leaking down the sides of her face and her eyes were still full of fear.

"It's me Hermione! It's Ron. It's ok. You're going to be fine but you have to be quiet." He hissed at her as she slowly recognized him. When he felt her relax he moved his hand but still put his finger gently against her mouth. She finally gasped out and flung herself around him.

"Ron?...Oh god Ron! Thank god you came. I don't know who these men are but they just appeared inside…and they said…I don't understand and…" Ron moved away slightly but reapplied his finger on her lips again to quiet her.

"Listen to me Hermione. We don't have time. You have to be quiet. I will explain everything to you later but we have to get out of here now. Where are your parents?" he asked in a whisper. He saw her glance upwards.

"They are upstairs in their bedroom to the back with two other men." She was crying softly but she was still able to answer.

"Ok do you know where the keys to the car outside is? And where is your bag?" he asked her as she calmed down a bit.

"Yes…It's hanging on the kitchen wall and my bag is in my room upstairs." She told him as he made a quick decision.

"Ok grab the car keys and follow me upstairs to your bedroom. Stay right behind me and keep quiet." he ordered then waited for her to retrieve the keys. Soon they were up the stairs and stopping at the first bedroom where Hermione quickly retrieved her bag. Ron thought about leaving her there but changed his mind as he preferred to have her close to him. As they approached the master bedroom to the end of the hallway, Ron signalled her to stop and wait as someone called from inside.

"Hey what was all that screaming about down there before Jones? Remember we are not to hurt the girl." A man shouted as he appeared in the doorway.

Ron sprung up from his crouched position, grabbed the man by his arm and flung him hard against the opposite wall before stunning him unconscious. He then rolled forward and crouched low as he fired a spell into the room. A blue bolt of light flew over his head and smashed into the wall as the sound of another body was heard hitting the floor inside the room with a thud. Hermione recovered from her shock then ran inside to untie her parents who were bound on the bed while Ron dragged the man outside to join his college.

"I can't untie these ropes Ron! Help me!" Hermione was pulling at the bindings in despair before he approached and waved his wand. The bindings fell away and Hermione was now staring at him with a look of confusion and doubt.

"What did you just do Ron? You are carrying a stick just like these other men. Who are they…and who are you really? I want to know!" she demanded sternly but Ron did not have the time for explanations just yet.

"I don't have the time to explain Hermione just trust me. There are more men coming and we have to get out now. He turned to the two frightened adults sitting on the bed. "My name is Ron Weasley and I know that things appear to be confusing, but your daughter is my friend and she means a lot to me so you have to listen to me to get her safely out of here. Will you do that?" he tried to sound trusting as he needed them calm.

Mr. Granger looked at Hermione then nodded with a determined face.

"Just tell us what to do young man. We can discuss everything else later." He said evenly and Ron knew that Hermione was not the only one who wanted answers. He nodded his response in return.

"Good. Please just grab your wallet and purse and get ready move." he ordered before looking out the door that led to an outer balcony. _Damn!_ He could see four more dark shapes running into the house and prayed that they would not leave a guard outside like before. He made another fast decision as he touched Hermione on her arm.

"Give your dad the car keys then get them both out on the balcony and wait. The men are already here. Please trust me Hermione." he pleaded as he faced the bedroom door. He heard her move behind him as he raised his wand and cast a strong shield spell around the door. It wouldn't hold for long but it would buy him some valuable time. The sound of footsteps could be heard hurrying up the steps outside.

Ron met the three worried people outside on the upper balcony and braced himself to explain his plan. Hopefully they would listen to him as time was quickly running out. He already knew he would not be able to apparate alongside with all three of them so this was the only other way. He took a deep breath of air before addressing Hermione's dad.

"Mr. Granger I am going to lower you and your wife down to the ground below then you are going to get in your car and reverse out of the driveway. Wait for us there…we will be right behind you. Now I want you to hold onto each other and close your eyes. Hurry!" he ordered as they followed his instruction. He heard Hermione start to object but he could not wait.

Waving his wand he muttered a levitation spell and lifted the pair over the balcony railing. Mrs. Granger yelled out in surprise but held on to her husband with a tight grip. Ron took his time as the last thing he wanted was for the older couple to get hurt in any way.

As the two reached the grass below with a slight bump, he heard a loud crash against the bedroom door and knew that the death eaters were probably bombarding the door with spells. His shield would only hold for a few more seconds.

As he watched the Grangers hurry off to the driveway, he turned to the girl next to him. She was watching him with a strange look but he couldn't dwell on it. He knew her trust in him was wavering thin but he hoped it was just enough to hold for just a little while longer. He really couldn't blame her for thinking he was a complete bloody weirdo.

"Just a few more seconds and we will be out of here I promise Hermione. I won't let anything happen to you. Now you need to take a few deep breaths and close your eyes as you may feel a bit dizzy." He told her softly before putting his free arm around her waist and pulling her close. She resisted initially but relaxed enough to remain calm.

Ron waited until the last moment before the door was about to collapse then sent a blasting spell from the inside. The door exploded into the men behind and he barely heard the screams and shouts of anger as he apparated the short distance next to the tree in front of the house.

He felt Hermione sag against him as they landed and all but carried her to the waiting car where they bundled in hurriedly before closing the back door.

"Go! Go! Just drive!" he shouted and the car peeled off with a loud screech up the road. He gazed behind him as they drove off then slouched into the seat with relief. …Now for the hard part he told himself as he closed his eyes for a moment.

The next fifteen minutes were spent in complete silence as Mr. Granger drove at a decent pace and Hermione settled next to him to clear her dizzy head. Ron did not have to wait long as she finally turned to him with a rigid back.

"You had better make this good Ronald Weasley or I will personally throw you out of this car! Explain to me what the hell is going on!" she bristled at him with her teeth bared. Ron ran his hand through his already ruffled hair as he looked out the window. They were approaching a busy shopping centre.

"Pull into the carpark here Mr. Granger and just park in the back among the cars." He told the driver. It was highly unlikely that they would be spotted this way. Mr. Granger soon pulled into an empty space between two parked cars, shut off the engine and turned to him in expectation. All eyes were on him and he cleared his throat loudly.

"Well…having to tell you in the back seat of a muggle car is not exactly the way I planned this but…" he stuttered at first but quickly decided to be as clear and straightforward as possible. He faced Hermione with a serious face. _Nothing like the direct approach._

"Those men back there are called death eaters. They were sent by a power hungry person to capture and kidnap you because they think you are special. I am indeed attached to a special department of law enforcement called the Auror Special Forces and my job was to first find you and then protect you from these evil people. I know it sounds wacky but…" he paused abruptly as Hermione put up her hand to stop him. She was frowning and he knew her mind was spinning at a rate.

"Why do these…people think I am special? What do they want with me?" she asked as Ron finally made up his mind to tell her.

"Because you _are_ special Hermione. I think you already suspect this. You are special because you are not like everyone around you including your parents. You Hermione…are a magical person with special powers born of non-magical parents. I am also a magical wizard and I live in a world that you do not know about…until now." he stated plainly.

Both parents has gasped at his news but there was no initial response from the girl in front of him. She was now studying him with a look of pure disbelief before exploding.

"Are you mad? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! How can you expect me to believe such a ludicrous story? Maybe you are the one sent to kidnap me and this is all just an elaborate charade." she ended in a frightful panic.

Ron knew that this sudden explanation would be hard on someone as logical as Hermione but he was determined to make her see the truth. He had just started badly and maybe in the wrong place.

"Listen please Hermione. I know it sounds crazy but maybe it will help if your parents can assist me with the beginning. They can tell you when it all started." He asked hopefully as she turned to the two people in front who looked just as surprised with this statement.

"I have no idea what you are talking about young man." Mr. Granger informed him with a glare but he knew it was the right way to continue.

"When Hermione was eleven years old, you were all travelling through Europe in the summer of 1991. Do you remember a certain letter of invitation to a magical school called Hogwarts? And do you remember a certain elderly woman who tried to convince you to send your daughter to that school because she was a magical witch? Tell me you don't remember what I am talking about." He asked the couple in front.

The two people looked at each other with wide eyes and it was obvious he had struck a memory. Their lack of denial prompted Hermione to finally ask.

"Is that true Mum?" she asked in a quiet voice as Mrs. Granger responded.

"We…we thought she was just a crazy woman…and all those invitation cards. We thought they were just an elaborate hoax…" she said as if in a trance.

"That woman was a magical witch just like Hermione and that school is real. Harry and I went there along with other magical children to learn about magic and the magical world." He paused then looked at Mrs. Granger. "Look I understand why you were sceptical but I suspect that you already knew Hermione was special didn't you? She told me that strange things would happen when she was angry or stressed and that she was always different in a way." Ron did not want to put any blame on them but he needed to make his case. He now turned to the girl by his side.

"Think about it Hermione. Why would I make up this whole…charade as you put it today when I could have easily taken you anytime I wanted these past few weeks?" he pulled out his wand and showed her. "This is a magical wand that every magical person carries. It allowed me to stop those men from assaulting you earlier and it allowed me to untie those bindings around your parents. Because of my magic, I was able to levitate them down to the ground and to move us in the blink of an eye."

"You will be able to do all these things too Hermione once you learn how." He added this as an incentive to her natural quest for knowledge. Here he paused to take a breath but also to give Hermione a few seconds to absorb all his words.

Hermione had gone quiet and he knew she was putting together all the pieces in her head. The fact that she was now somewhat outwardly calm made him relax a bit. Maybe he was getting through.

"If what you say is true, and I am just another…magical person then why does this evil person want me? …and why are you protecting me?" she finally asked. Ron sighed quietly and met her eyes.

"That's another long story Hermione which I will tell you but we have to leave now. It's too dangerous out here. There has been a…development in our world where that same power seeking person who sent those men after you is causing a huge problem. I have to take you to a safe house and wait for Harry to contact us." He informed her reluctantly as he expected a bitter response.

"You must really be mad to think that we will allow you to take our daughter away now." Mr. Granger blared at him but he was ready.

"They will find her again Mr. Granger. If not soon then sometime later I assure you. Once this evil person is free and allowed control, they will find her and take her and I will not allow that to happen. I am here to help so you will just have to trust me." He said clearly but the girl next to him shifted away.

"And what if I do not want to go with you. What if I want to stay with my parents? Will you take me by force Ron?" there was a quiver in her voice but Hermione was staring at him and waiting for an answer. Ron sighed again and this time he dared to reach out and touch her leg gently. He was glad when she did not flinch away from him.

"You can't stay with them Hermione. You will be putting them in danger just like today. What do you think would have happened to them after they took you away?" He asked her but hoped that he had conveyed the answer. There were tears in her eyes now and he gave her leg a reassuring squeeze. He again turned to the front.

"Is there any place you can stay for a while? Just until we can contact you when it's safe to do so." He asked suddenly. The Grangers still looked unhappy with the whole situation but Mrs. Granger nodded slowly.

"We can go to my brother's house in the country. It's empty now as he is away but I can get in. Hermione knows the address." she informed him.

"Good. Don't go back to your house for any reason as it will be under surveillance now. Just wait there until me or someone from the Ministry of Magic contacts you. I promise I will look after your daughter Mr. and Mrs. Granger." He glanced at Hermione before continuing. "What I said before was true. She is my friend and I will do everything in my power to keep her safe."

Hermione was now staring down at the seat but slowly raised her head to her parents. The tears were still in her eyes.

"You have to go ahead Mum and Dad. I don't want anything to happen to you because of me. I'll see you as soon as I can." She reached forward between the seats and gave each of them a long hug before turning to him.

"What now Ron. Where are we going?" she asked timidly. He was actually a bit taken aback at how smoothly this had gone but did not want to waste the opportunity.

"Just like before on the balcony. It's called apparating. If you hold onto me I can move us almost instantly to any location once I can picture it clearly in my mind. As I said before, I am taking you to a safe house where no one can find us. Harry is currently trying to…sort some stuff out before he contacts me to bring us in safely." He explained as simply as possible without giving away too much. He really did not want to spook them now that he had their trust.

Mr. Granger started the car and drove to the edge of the property where there were some tall empty containers standing to hide their presence. Ron and Hermione alighted out of the car with their bags and moved in between the containers after waving goodbye. Hermione watched as the car disappeared out of view before raising her head to look at him.

"I always knew you were different Ron. You were always my biggest mystery remember? But I do trust you. I always did." She said softly as Ron moved towards her. "You will tell me everything later won't you? I know you did not want to worry my parents but I need to know." Ron wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He felt her stiffen up and but ignored it.

"I will. You deserve to know everything." He said into her ear as he closed his eyes and disapparated out with a crack.

 **o0o**

Magical apparition is one of the most wondrous abilities for trained wizards and witches. Having the capability to move from place to place within a heartbeat was truly a marvel. The ability however came with some conditions that everyone who used it clearly understood. Besides having a clear and determined focus on the intended location, the other important requirement was that the person apparating should be in fairly good physical and mental condition as any major flaw was magnified during apparition making the possibility of mental deterioration or physical splinching a real concern. In the same way, someone with a higher than average mental focus and in peak physical condition could apparate farther with less chance of getting injured.

As members of the ASF, Ron and Harry had been trained and conditioned to apparate under unusual stressful situations. They were capable of apparating longer distances at the drop of a hat and had mastered the art of using multiply continuous apparations to move faster if needed without doing much damage to their bodies. It was not recommended as a normal activity in the line of duty but more as training for emergency cases.

Side along apparition was also dangerous for obvious reasons. The person apparating not only had the extra responsible for carrying the additional physical person which itself carried the same dangers as before but now also had to remain focused while being jammed up next to someone.

This was such the case as Ron and Hermione appeared with a crack in the back yard of a small unassuming bungalow building south of London just away from a tiny village set at the foot of the Surrey Hills. It was not a long distance to apparate by any means but having to hold a frightened (and surprisingly stiff) Hermione having gone through the stressful events of earlier made Ron feel as if he had travelled the length of the country and back.

Trying to ignore the pounding in his head and his winded lungs, he led a slightly staggering Hermione over to a small bench which sat in the yard under a tree. She was breathing hard but looked in one piece.

"Just breathe deeply and open your eyes. It will clear in a few minutes." He told her but was surprised when she pulled away from him as she bent forward. He was briefly troubled by it but did not give it further though as she slowly sat up and looked around in wonder.

"Where are we? How far did we…travel?" she asked softly as he smiled to himself.

"We're in Surrey just south of London in a tiny village called Effingham. It's next to a large park and no one can find us here besides the ASF. We have a few places like this for us to use when the need arises. It's nothing elaborate but it will provide all our basic needs. It's protected by some magical charms which you can read about….if you want to." He again baited her with the lure of learning something new. He knew it was the surest way of getting her interested in her new world.

Sure enough, a look of anticipation crossed her face as she looked at him.

"Do…do you have books about…about people like you…us." She asked hopefully and he now chuckled out lightly.

"Yes Hermione we do read and write as well. I brought a few books in my bag that might interest you and there are normally some standard books of healing and other stuff that are kept in these houses." He smiled at her. "But let's get settled first and we can talk after." He suggested as he raised his hand to help her stand.

Again to his surprise she refused his offer and stood up away from him waiting to be led into the small cottage. Ron was now a bit confused at her distant manner towards him. As he strode ahead of her to approach the house he wondered if it was just a reaction to him being a wizard and a stranger of sorts to her now. He had also lied to her…well he had not exactly been honest to her over the past few weeks. He also knew she was a lot more worried than she was showing and he could understand her concerns but…she had kissed him goodnight less than 24 hours ago. _Merlin!_ It seemed like ages ago now.

As he performed the necessary spells to gain access to the house, he decided to let it go for now. He had bigger things to worry about. The talk with Harry this morning worried him immensely. What was the state of the Ministry? And what about his family? He shook his head as he opened the back door. He would just have to wait it out until he heard from Harry. In the meanwhile he had a lot of explaining to do with the witch behind him.

The safe house was indeed a basic shelter no more than an open rectangular box with a small kitchen at one end, a dining table in the middle and four single beds lined against the far wall. A small couch and sitting chairs sat in the living/bedroom area with a shower washroom to the side. A makeshift bookcase/shelving unit stood against a wall in the dining area.

"I said it was basic didn't I?" he indicated with his hand moving into the room with the beds. He threw his bag against one in the corner and turned to the girl who looked a little lost standing still next to the dining table.

"Pick a bed and you can clean up or take a shower while I look for something to eat. No one was expecting us to be here to stock the place so don't expect much." He said a bit gloomily but moved to the kitchen area as Hermione passed him on the way to the other corner bed away from his. She rummaged in her bag before going to the washroom.

Thirty minutes later he placed two plates of food on the table and was just about to sit when she reappeared wearing a baggy sweat pants and an old tee shirt looking slightly self-conscious, but he smiled at her as he sat.

"It's corn beef and rice. Definitely not my favourite but I can't complain. Could have been worse I guess…" he thought back to their narrow escape from the death eaters earlier. Looking up he saw her still standing next to the table.

"Ron…I…I never got to thank you for what you did. You saved me and my parents from those horrible men…so…thank you." She finished with a serious face as he waved his hand in dismissal.

"I was just doing my job Hermione. I'm just glad you…and your parents are safe." He told her honestly but her eyes looked away from him.

"Right…just doing your job…" she sounded like she was speaking to herself before catching herself and looking up again. "I just want you to know that we are grateful to you for getting us out of there." she told him formally but Ron sensed that he was missing something.

"Hermione…" he started but she suddenly pulled out her chair and sat down to eat effectively quieting him. Ron shook his head and the meal continued in silence, well at least he continued while Hermione played around with her food after taking a few meagre bites.

He waited for her to start as he was sure her head was buzzing away but she was either feeling overwhelmed or else she was exhausted as the silence continued well past him finishing his plate. He stretched his back, sighed and passed his hand through his hair.

"I'm not too sure exactly where to begin here Hermione. Maybe you have a few questions that I can try to answer as a start?" he tried to begin the discussion.

Hermione looked up at him with a tired look but she pushed away her plate noisily and sat up straight.

"I have a million question Ron and I want…need for all of them to be answered but my head is spinning and honestly all I want to do is go to sleep and never wake up from this…" she waved her tiny hands in the air but could not finish her sentence. He watched as she tried to calm herself and he urgently felt the need to help.

"Look I know this has been a stressful day to say the least and you have gone through a hell of a lot. You may also have some resentment for me right now which I truly do understand so maybe it might be best if you try to get some rest tonight and we can start afresh tomorrow. I promise I will tell you everything you want to know. What do you think?" He suggested hopefully and waited as she appeared to resign herself to his suggestion.

"I don't resent you Ron…That's not it." She said softly looking away from him. "But I guess you are right. All my questions can wait for tomorrow…except one." She looked at him as she placed her hands on the table. Ron just nodded and waited.

"Why me?"

It was such a simple question but Ron could not shy away from it. After all it was the reason why he was with this muggle born witch in the first place. So much for an early night.

"Let me put on the kettle for some tea and we can talk in the other room. Find a seat and I will bring you a cup." He indicated as he stood to go into the kitchen.

He very shortly carried two mugs into the room where she was sitting in one of the single chairs. After handing over her tea, he dug into his bag for a stored away parchment then seated himself on the small couch. She kicked off her slippers and folded her legs under her as she waited and the sight of her threw him for a second but he quickly took a big gulp of his tea and cleared his throat.

"Right let me see if I make this as short and clear as possible. We can always catch up with the details tomorrow. You already know that there is a magical world where people like us live apart from the non-magical or muggle world as we call it and for all purposes it is just as normal a place as everywhere else. However a few years ago an evil wizard tried to take power and there was a war of sorts that threatened our world. This evil wizard was defeated and Harry and I…well Harry mostly had a great part to play in his eventual demise." He paused to take another sip but Hermione had not moved an inch.

"The end of the war and the defeat of this wizard was actually foretold through a prophecy which was known for quite a while." here he raised his hand and shook his head. "I know it sounds like even more fantasy and even I do not give much credence to this part of the arts but this one was true." He interjected but quickly carried on with the important part.

"…there is another prophecy that foretells the coming of another power seeking witch who could only be brought down by a certain muggle born magical female with certain qualities…and this is where you come in Hermione…We feel that this evil witch is already here." He told her sadly as he fiddled with the parchment in his other hand. She sat up now but folded her arms in front of her.

"Are you saying that I may be part of some prophecy?" she asked quietly and he had to give it to her. She was a lot calmer than he would have been at this stage.

"Well we are not quite sure you see. According to this prophecy this witch must be born of non-magical parents in England, be twenty-one years of age and also…a virgin." he tried to deliver the last part with a straight face but his ears were already starting to burn. "There are other things in the prophecy which we are not quite sure of so we really can't say with any certainty who this person really is. The problem is that this power seeking witch also knows the prophecy and will try to eliminate anyone who might satisfy the conditions." He leaned forward now to finish.

"We have a list of every witch who may satisfy these particular traits but you were different as your files were misplaced and no one really knew who you were. That was my job. I had to find you and make sure that you did in fact fall within this prophecy and then protect you from this evil person. We were sure that she did not have your name until today apparently and that is why they came after you." He finally finished and sank into the couch. It wasn't long before she spoke.

"Is that the prophecy in your hand? Can I see it?" she asked. Ron nodded as he stood and handed the parchment to her.

"Now please remember Hermione that even though you may fulfil some of the parts in there, it doesn't mean that you are the one ok? It could be someone else or this whole thing could be just stupid magical nonsense." He tried to soften the situation.

Hermione quickly straightened the parchment and read aloud slowly:-

" _THERE WILL COME A TIME AFTER THE DEATH OF THE DARK LORD_

 _WHEN ANOTHER SHALL RISE WITH HIS BLOOD,_

 _A WITCH AS POWERFUL AND HUNGRY FOR POWER AS BEFORE,_

 _FOR SHE SHALL TAKE CONTROL OF THE MAGIC WORLD AND NONE SHALL STOP HER._

 _EXCEPT FOR THE ONE,_

 _THE ONE WITH THE MOON AND THE STARS,_

 _THE ONE BORN IN ALBION OF MUGGLE BLOOD AND PURE OF BODY,_

 _IN HER TWENTY FIRST YEAR SHE SHALL BE THE KEY TO THE DOWNFALL OF THE QUEEN,_

 _FOR SHE SHALL STRIKE BETWEEN THE TWO TOWERS OF MAGICAL STRENGTH_

 _AND THE QUEEN SHALL BE NO MORE._

 _FOR THIS IS THE PROPHECY, FOR THIS IS THE TRUTH."_

Ron stood and watched as Hermione seemed to read over the words a number of times to herself. The colour had drained from her face and her breathing had quickened with every second. He was now a bit worried and decided that he should insist in calling it a night. It was doing no good for her to go through any more stress on the first day. He reached out and touched her shoulder and was a bit relieved when she let him but she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He crouched in front of her with some concern.

"Blimey Hermione I'm sorry. We should have done this tomorrow when you were rested." He told her but she shook her head.

"I have to show you something Ron." She whimpered out causing him to frown with some confusion.

"It's ok. We can do it tomorrow Hermione." He tried to sooth her but she was insistent in continuing.

"Remember the day under the tree behind the library when we had our little picnic and I asked about the scars on your arm?" she asked him in earnest before he nodded. It was one of his better memories.

"I told you I had a funny birthmark on my back remember?" she prodded him to recall and then to his great surprise she suddenly turned around and pulled off her baggy tee shirt. He was still gaping in shock when she slipped her bra strap off her left shoulder and then he saw it clearly.

A dark blue mark on her upper shoulder blade. A mark in the shape of a quarter moon with tiny dark smatterings resembling stars cluttered in the centre.

"Bloody Hell…you really are the One…"

 **END OF PART 1**

 **o0o**

That's it! End of Part 1. Sorry for the delay but it took me ages to edit this right.


	13. The Ways of Magic

_**AN: OK Part 2 begins with a basic filler chapter with lots of dialog between the two. More action and drama to follow. Special thanks to all my reviewers so far, even the ones I can't respond to. You are all the inspiration that I need to continue.**_

 **PART 2: THE JOURNEY BACK**

 **Chapter 12: The Ways of Magic.**

Ron appeared in the small back yard holding his wand in one hand and a large bag of groceries in the other with his stomach grumbling in anticipation of a breakfast meal which he was hurrying back to prepare. He had reluctantly left her in bed sitting up against the wall with her head buried in a book and others scattered all around her. It was actually heartening to see her in a familiar position and he suspected that she had been up from an early hour doing what she was best at. It was a fry cry from the sobbing girl he had consoled the night before.

After she had shown him that all revealing mark on her back, she had somehow allowed him to hold her as she had finally broken down and cried on his shoulder until she had fallen asleep. He had carried her silently to her bed and gently tucked her in for the night before leaving all the books he had brought for her to read by her side. Still she had barely acknowledged him as he awoke, dressed and left to get some food and he was a bit put out by her return to being aloof with him but he was just happy to see her looking somewhat recovered and interested in learning about the magic world. He was far more worried about what was actually happening in his world as he had not been able to contact Harry since arriving at the safe house. His communication shield was either turned off or...he did not want to think of any other reason.

As he packed away the groceries and clattered away in the kitchen preparing breakfast, she would occasionally raise her head and look his way but not a word was spoken as she continued to read in earnest. On finishing, Ron set aside two plates of food, took a deep breath to steady himself then strode over to the bed where the newly discovered one was reading and ignoring him at the same time.

"Come and have some breakfast Hermione. You did not eat much last night so put down those books for a minute to eat…please." He started politely. She turned her head slightly but the book remained upright.

"I'm not hungry thank you. You can leave it covered and I will eat it later when I have finished this book." She addressed him in a voice that should have set him off, but he took another breath and reached over to take the book from her. It was the standard magical healing text that previously sat on the bookshelf in the dining room. He should have known.

"Have you finished reading all of the other books I left you?" he asked with genuine surprise still trying to keep his anger in check. She pulled the book back away from his fingers.

"Most of them." She announced after a pause but she lowered the book and he felt his anger dissipate quickly as he could now see the tiredness in her eyes. "Do these healing spells really work? Can I try them…I mean will you let me try them?" she asked hesitantly.

Ron had to stifle a small chuckle under his breath as he smiled at her. He took a seat on the bed next to her.

"Hermione those healing spells are a bit complicated to start with. I know you have a special interest in the subject but I figured we could start off with the basics then work our way up to the more intricate spells." He suggested gently.

"I know. I know. But it's just so fascinating what can be done with magic and I just want to try it out." She said a bit too quickly and Ron sensed there was something off. He watched as she tried to sit up a bit more and when he saw her wince ever so slightly he put it together. He was off the bed and crouched beside her in a second.

"Merlin Hermione. I am such a thick head. I should have checked you last night but…where does it hurt? Let me see." He asked with real concern in his eyes. It was stupid and completely thoughtless of him not to have checked to see if she had been injured the day before. Shit! She had almost been assaulted by those two asshole he recalled vividly.

Hermione however pulled the sheet up higher and faced him with a determined look.

"It's nothing. I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. Just leave me alone Ron and let me get back to my reading." She dismissed him but he was having none of it.

"Shit Hermione you should have told me earlier. Now if you do not show me where you are injured right this minute, I will have to tie you up and examine you myself. Do you want that?" he threatened as her eyes open wide.

"You wouldn't dare!" she hissed at him but he could tell that she wasn't all too sure. He decided to change tactic as he ran his fingers through his thick red hair. He lowered his voice to a softer tone.

"Look Hermione, I am responsible for you and I can't let you remain injured if you really are. You need to remain as strong and healthy as possible if we are to get through this." he tried to reason.

"Well I absolve you of your responsibility. So you can go now!" She turned away from him and brought the book back up to her face. It was now becoming harder to keep his anger in check.

"Why are you being so bloody difficult about this? Don't you want to feel better you stubborn…" he checked himself with a deep breath and chose the approach which he hoped was surer to work. He lowered his voice again.

"Listen I can show you how the healing spells are done. Wouldn't you like to see how they work?" he deliberately picked his words carefully. "And you can get to see and use the healing potions and creams that I have. They are really amazing I tell you." he claimed as he saw her soften and hesitate just as he predicted. She just couldn't help herself.

"And you will teach me the spells after? You promise?" she was still looking at her book but there was a slight blush to her cheeks.

"I promise." He smiled sensing victory.

"Well ok but I'm sure I could have worked it out myself." She muttered but removed the sheet from around her.

"You're so easy." He chuckled as he moved to sit beside her.

"Shut up and show me." She huffed back at him.

"Why don't you shut up and show me where you're hurt." He replied lightly but apprehensively.

She paused with her hands holding the hem of her tee shirt but then quickly raised it and turned slightly to the side for him to see.

Ron gasped silently to himself as he made the effort not to show his shock at the deep coloured bruises that lined her waist and side but his mouth did not comply. _Those fucking dirt bags!_

"Merlin Hermione! You were going to keep this to yourself!" he hissed out. "I should have killed those fucking assholes!" he exclaimed as he moved closer to take a better look.

"Watch your language Ron and it just looks bad. It's just sore to the touch. I don't think anything is broken inside." She explained with some degree of certainty. Nevertheless he had to be sure.

"Tell me if this hurts." He said seriously as he applied some pressure on her lower ribs. When she winched again in pain he nodded and took his hands away.

"You're right it's just sore but I can make it better." He drew his wand and explained what he was about to do.

"Ok this is a simple spell to relieve the soreness in your ribs. It's one of the best spells for healing minor injuries like broken bones and such. You have to however know what it is you're fixing as it targets the specific area that you are aiming at. The wand movement is also simple. Just a quick roll of the wrist." He pointed at her left rib area and waited until she nodded.

"Episkey!" he cast the spell quickly and watched as she sucked in her breath then released in surprise.

"Oh my gosh! I felt it!" she cried out. "It really works!" she gushed out but Ron was not finished. His ears turned slightly red as he cleared his throat.

"Erm…if you can just pull the waist of your pyjamas down a bit I'm going to just make these bruises a lot easier on you. This is a spell to heal external bruises. It won't make it completely disappear but it will make it a lot better." He informed her in his best professional voice.

Her blush suddenly reappeared but she shifted and did as he asked without a word.

"Curavi cicatrix!" he cast the next spell and this time she could also see that the bruises shimmered a bit before reducing in size and colour.

"That is just amazing!" she was staring at the spots where her bruises were now just a light pink colour with a hint of blue beneath. Ron could only smile as he walked over to his bag and retrieved the cream he had used on himself a short time ago.

"This is the same cream you saw me with when I was trying to fix myself in my bathroom." He informed her. "Just rub it on those bruises and they will be gone by tomorrow." He said handing the cream over to her.

He turned his back as she applied the cream and waited until she was finished before looking at her.

"Are you much better now? You see…all you had to do was ask." He said smugly. "Now come and have some breakfast and if you eat everything I have a surprise for you." He teased.

"I am not a child Ron who you have to bribe." She shot at him but there was no anger behind it.

"Oh believe me, I know you are not a child Hermione and it's not a bribe…it's an incentive." He laughed softly. She shook her head and he could just make out a smile on her face.

"You really are impossible Ron Weasley." She muttered softly.

"Yes so I've been told. But it's nice to hear it from you." He said with a smile in return.

Whether she was very hungry or really intrigued by his offer of a surprise, Hermione seemed to have fully recovered her appetite and soon left her plate empty. She threw the small napkin down after wiping her mouth slowly then took a sip of her tea as she watched him. Ron was also finished and waited for her to start. The surprise would have to wait.

"So…this prophecy. Now that it looks like you found the right girl what happens now?" she asked simply. Ron shifted back into his chair and paused as he thought about how to answer.

"Well if you had asked me that two days ago, I could have answered easily but now I'm not too sure." He ran his hands over his face and sighed. "Listen Hermione I was supposed to bring you in once I confirmed that you could possibly fit at least some of the prophecy's…stipulations. Your parents were already confirmed as muggles and I knew you were a witch, I just felt it. You were of the correct age and…and." Here he stalled as he felt his ears burning. "…and I guessed the virgin part. Well you kind of told me you never had any boyfriends but as I got to know you I just figured you were not the kind of girl who would…you know…" He stalled to look at her expecting some kind of blow out but she just waved her hands at him.

"Go on Ron. I'm the one apparently so you were right. Thanks for the personal assessment but let's just move on please." She stated quickly with a blush of her own.

"Right. Well I was asked to bring you in right away but since no one really knew of you I convinced my boss and Harry to wait until after your exams because…well you were studying so much and I did not want to upset you or put you off until…" he paused again as he saw her lean forward.

"You really did that for me?" she asked softly surprising him with her tone.

"Yeah…well I knew how serious you were about the exams and it was only for another week or two so I felt it wouldn't make much of a difference." He answered truthfully.

"But now something is wrong and this has to do with Harry right?" she picked up as he nodded.

"Yes. Harry contacted me yesterday before I left for your house. It sounds like this evil queen witch or whoever she is has finally made her move. We have been trying to track her down but he said that the Ministry of Magic…that's the magical central governing building…was under attack and that I was to bring you here and wait for him to contact me." He now brushed his hands through his hair.

"I have been trying to contact him all morning but he's not answering so I don't have a clue what the hell is going on. We just have to wait." He finished a bit exasperated. He also had no idea if his family or friends were safe but he didn't want to bring that up. He decided instead to try and clear up another issue.

"Look Hermione, I know you might not trust me after what I did but you have to believe that your safety has always been my primary concern. What I told you was true. You are a friend and I always look after my friends. I don't really care one way or another about this damn prophecy…but I care about you. You know that don't you?" he asked with a hopeful plea.

He watched as she stared at him with that soft look again before lowering her eyes and sighing to herself.

"I know Ron. Yes…we are still friends." He heard her say clearly to his relief but she shook her head after a pause and looked up at him with a clear face.

"So where is my surprise? Can I get it now? I ate all my breakfast." She smirked at him and despite her obvious change in topic, his relief turned into genuine delight at her sudden light banter. His smile returned once more as he stood.

"Follow me oh precious one with the moon and the stars and I shall give you what you deserve." He told her mysteriously as he strode over to his bag which was still on his bed. He fished inside and withdrew his back up wand before turning to the girl who stood behind him.

"This is my back up wand which I am not supposed to have. It's not registered as I got it off a death eater who most likely stole it from another wizard or witch. It's not very long but it's a good wand for you to begin with. Vinewood at its core I think and it has served me well but I want you to have it. Here." He held it out to her.

Hermione had gone a bit pale but she was clearly excited. She reached out for it but quickly pulled her hand back in thought. Ron chuckled to himself as he took a step forward.

"Now you might feel a light tingle flow through you and it may feel a bit warm to the touch but don't let it bother you. Just get used to the feeling. Go ahead." He held it out again and this time she slowly reached for it and finally held it in her hand.

Her eyes sprung open and he could tell that she could really feel the power of the wand in her hand.

"How does it feel?" he asked.

"I felt…feel something in my arm. It's like a very light vibration and it's spreading slowly through me." She squeaked out in surprise and excitement. "And the wand feels so light. Like it's not even in my hand." She exclaimed. Ron nodded in understanding.

"Good. A proper wand is supposed to feel like a part of you. Now let's try something simple…" he began.

 **o0o**

For the next two hours Ron and Hermione practiced a number of spells inside the small room. Not to his surprise, Hermione quickly picked up the basic spells with no problem. She had already memorized all the standard spells in the books he gave her and she was eager to try every single one of them. Ron had to continually restrain her from overdoing it and he had to keep reminding her time after time to practice the basics and not to overextend herself.

As he watched her, it was clear she was a talented and gifted witch. Spells that would normally take days to master for a normal person were performed flawlessly by her after just a few tries. It still surprised her that she was able to perform the simplest of spells and he chuckled as she broke and repaired almost every item in the room over and over again each time expressing surprise and delight. She had her bushy hair tied up in a messy bun and she was sweating with concentration as she was currently levitating one of the small chairs.

Ron had stopped watching her form with the wand and was using the occasion to blatantly stare at her face in appreciation. He was back on shaky ground where his friend was concerned. Now was not the best of times to think or dwell on personal feelings he chided himself but it was hard not to remember how soft she felt when they were dancing close or how carefree she looked dancing at the club. It was hard to forget the smell of her hair and the feel of her lips against his.

He shook his head to clear his head. This girl was possible in for one hell of a ride over the next few weeks or maybe months and his immediate goal was to make sure that she settled into the magic world as easily as possible and to ensure her safety. Whatever was to come after could wait.

"OK. Take a break Hermione. I don't want you killing out yourself on the first day." He ordered but she pouted at him.

"I still want to try out a few more spells Ron. I feel fine so why can't I continue?" she asked.

"Because you are new to this and no matter how simple these spells are, they will take a toll on your magic and you will start to feel the effects after a while so stop pouting and take a shower. I'll make us some sandwiches." He shouted the last bit walking into the kitchen area leaving her glaring at his back.

Freshly showered, Hermione reappeared at the little dining table and they both sat down to have the light lunch sandwiches he had prepared.

"You really are gifted Hermione. You are performing some perfectly executed magic spells that Harry and I didn't get to learn until third year and then it took us ages to get right." He told her truthfully as she blushed under his praise.

"Thanks Ron and thanks for making me rest. I am suddenly feeling very tired. I think I did under estimate the effects of all the work we did this morning." She informed him with a pink flush.

"It's ok. As I said you are new to this and it will take some time to adjust." He smiled in return.

Hermione nodded in understanding but paused to stare at him for a second. He knew a question was coming.

"So tell me about school. It was called Hogwarts wasn't it?" she asked with an eager face. He should have guess that this was what she wanted to know about. Well it was as good a time as any to give her a little history lesson.

"You better get comfortable. It's about time you get to know a few things…" he started

And so for much of the afternoon Ron relived his and Harry's years at school and the rise and fall of the dark lord Voldemort. In some way, it was therapeutic for Ron to relive all those years and all the times that he and Harry had gone through. He touched on every subject to give her a taste of the magical world. The school, his friends and family, the history of the second wizard war and the world that settled after. They had moved into the bedroom/living area and Ron had continued his tale interspaced with her questions. Hermione had curled herself into the end of the couch and Ron sat opposite her talking and answering her questions.

"…I still can't believe all this took place without anyone from the normal world finding out. It's so unreal to me." She commented on his last story.

"I know but the Ministry goes a long way in protecting its secrecy. Unauthorized magic in front of muggles is strictly prohibited. They even have ways to track it and there is a whole department dedicated to wiping and clearing the memories of anyone who has been a witness to magic." He informed her as she shook her head in disbelief but then went suddenly quiet and appeared to be thinking deeply about something. She raised her face to him with a teary look.

"What's going to happen to me Ron? I mean…if I manage to get through all this. I can't go to Hogwarts now I'm too old and I won't know anyone in your world. I won't be able to get a job and where would I live? Would I be allowed to come back to my school? Oh how can I even think of doing that knowing what I know now. I'm so confused…" she finished with a choke.

Ron immediately shifted closer to her but he had no idea how to respond to her concerns. All he could do was reassure her the best he could.

"I know its scary Hermione and it looks confusing but…let's take this one step at a time. Don't worry too much please. Remember that you will always have me and Harry by your side no matter what. I'm sure the Ministry will work everything out once this stupid prophecy thing is ended. You are the brightest person I know so you'll be able to figure it out. One step at a time ok?" he tried to calm her down and his words seemed to have an effect as she visible relaxed into the soft couch.

"Thanks Ron. I just didn't realise the enormity of it all I guess. One step at a time. Thanks." She gave him a small smile then raised her eyebrows at him.

"You know all the little things that I couldn't quite figure out about you and all the weird stuff that only pertained to you are now quite clear to me after reading those books and knowing…what I know now." She informed him and it was now his turn to quirk his eyebrows.

"Oh like what?" he asked as she uncurled her feet and rubbed her toes in thought.

"Like how you were always confused by the simplest of things especially electronic gadgets and everyday electrical stuff, how you healed yourself so quickly that time, how you were able to travel around so quickly yet was always confused by the tube. That owl delivering messages. How I never saw you studying or how you were always…around me." It's like I'm now seeing a different person all together." She finished softly as she looked at him to make the point.

Ron was a bit taken aback but he could see her point. This was what he was afraid would happen. He shifted to face her better.

"Look I don't deny that what I did was…somewhat deceptive to you and but I hope I explained enough to convince you that what I did was necessary but Hermione…essentially I'm the same impossible prat that you got to know and you are still the same friend that I made. I hope you see that." He tried to assure her but he could that there was still some doubt in her eyes. _Was this the reason she was keeping her distance from him?_

She finally gave him a small nod glancing in his direction.

"I do Ron. I do." She said softly before standing up and stretching.

"I think I'm going to bed. You really were right about being suddenly tired." She smiled at him and he gratefully accepted the gesture. It would do for now.

"Ok I'm going to check outside and then lock up. Tomorrow we will be working on some offensive and defensive spells. I want you sharp so get a good night's sleep Hermione. Good night." He also stood up and waited until she went into the washroom before putting on his jumper and jacket to go outside. It had been a long day for him too and combined with his other worries he was also tired and ready for bed.

A half hour later, he returned inside and performed the necessary protection charms to lock the house safely. The small bedroom area was in darkness so he quickly grabbed his night clothes and proceeded to take a much needed shower before returning to his bed. He was already under the sheets when he heard small footsteps from across the room then a noise in the bed next to him. Hermione was silently getting under the covers after dropping her books on the floor.

"Everything ok there Hermione?" he asked into the darkness.

"Erm yes…it's just…well it's just warmer over here that's all so goodnight Ron." She muttered quickly before disappearing under the sheets. Ron allowed himself a smile.

"Goodnight Hermione. Sleep well." He said quietly before closing his eyes and drifting away to sleep.

 **o0o**


	14. The Start of the Journey

**Chapter 13: The Start of the Journey.**

Hermione awoke from a very deep sleep with a heavy head and a flush feeling over her sweaty body. With her eyes closed, she waited until her head cleared but her body still emanated a light heat which she could not quite fathom. Finally opening her eyes she glanced at the empty bed across from hers and wondered how she had managed to oversleep her notoriously late waking companion.

She immediately sat up throwing off her damp sheet and looked around in a slight panic. After their numerous talks the day before, she had finally lowered her guard somewhat and switched beds last night to be a little closer to him. To be honest it just made her feel safer, and sleeping in the bed closest to his probably accounted in a large way for her deep slumber.

"Ron?" she called out in a loud voice trying to remain calm.

There was no reply so she sat up and was about to shout his name again when the bathroom door opened with a loud swish and the man she was looking for emerged drying his red hair with one hand and carrying a blue polo shirt in the other. He was bare chested and his jeans was not fully buttoned at the top with his belt also open around his waist.

Even though her body was already flushed, she felt a completely different heat rise to her face at the sight of him. She had to consciously shut her mouth which had involuntarily fallen open.

Ron finished drying his hair as he sat on his bed opposite her.

"Didn't want to wake you as you were really out. Are you feeling a bit flushed?" he asked knowingly and she almost choked at his query.

"What...I…How…" she couldn't seem to manage a proper response and her face only heated up more under his gaze.

"I'm sorry I should have warned you about that. Your body has suddenly experienced magic properly for the first time yesterday after twenty-one years being dormant inside you. Unlike you, normal wizards and witches gradually get to release this from ages eleven or twelve under strict control conditions in school. That's why you were so tired last night and that's why your body will feel a bit heated for a few days until it gets accustomed to it." He explained a bit guiltily. "How are you really feeling?" he then asked.

Hermione actually inwardly praised her magic as a reasonable excuse for her heated condition. She stretched out her limbs gingerly but remained in bed.

"I'm actually fine Ron but you are right. I slept like a log last night and I do feel…a strange warmth inside. I thought it was a fever or something but now that I'm fully awake it's quite a peculiar feeling really." She tried to convey.

"Maybe we should take it easy today." He stared at her with a look of worry that had suddenly overcome his face.

"No. No I want to continue. I'm fine and well rested." She told him quickly sitting up and looking at him with a serious but quite reddish face. She wanted to convince him that she was able to practice but his upper body was causing her all kinds of distraction at the moment. She hurried on.

"Look let me take a quick shower then make us some breakfast all right? Then we can start slowly if you want. Please Ron?" she pleaded gently.

He still had that worried look on him but he eventually gave her a slight nod. She grabbed her bag and ran into the bathroom before he could change his mind.

When she returned he was now properly dressed but the worry look was still on his face. He was holding his wand against a small metal object that was obviously the cause of his concern.

"What's that?" she asked dropping her bag on her bed. He ran his hand over his still damp hair in obvious frustration.

"It's my communication shield. This is how Harry and I can speak to each other but…I haven't been able to reach him since I left for your house yesterday and he hasn't called either." He said before standing up and clipping the object to his belt. He now rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't know what's happening. The shield is supposed to put me in touch with any of the team members plus our liaison officer but I can't reach any of them…not one. It's like they all disappeared into thin air." He spoke more to himself than to her but she still had no idea exactly how to respond.

"Can't we just leave and go somewhere where you can find out?" she asked hesitantly but he shook his head again in frustration.

"I want to but Harry specifically told me not to. I would even take a chance and go by myself but I can't leave you here." He growled softly before looking at her. "Sorry. It's not your fault Hermione. It's just that having no idea what the hell is going on is driving me a bit up the wall." He confessed with a pained face.

Hermione understood his frustration. She was having some of her own to be honest. She had no idea if her parents were really safe and if they were, she knew that they would be worrying themselves sick about her. While she was genuinely excited about her new disposition as a magical person and the abilities that came with it, she was still confused and apprehensive about everything else. Besides Ron, the only other magical person she had met was Harry and now she was stuck inside a house without any idea of what was to come next. The few books had helped but she was still far from comfortable about her future.

On top of everything else, the man in front of her was also a major factor in her frustration. Against her best intentions and common sense, she had allowed herself to become closer to him than she should have. She had made a friend whom she had truly liked and who she had thought might have also liked her in the same way but now with everything in the open, she was not too sure.

She had kissed him! God! She had one of the best nights of her life with him and for the first time in her life her heart had taken over her brain. She had kissed him and it had felt so right and so good and…so long ago. He was still her friend he had told her but to what extent she had no idea and it just added to her frustration.

"So are you still making breakfast? Or do I have to beg? His light chuckle broke her thoughts and she moved to the kitchen hurriedly.

…After a light breakfast they were both soon standing in the small living area. Ron had moved the sparse furniture to the side and stood before her with a serious face. She felt her excitement build.

"Ok. You seem to have a pretty solid feel for magic as you were great with all the general spells yesterday but today we are going to learn some basic offensive and defensive spells which are a bit harder to perform. You will need a stronger mental focus to perform them effectively but I really want you prepared as best as possible just in case anything happens. I will show you what I mean in a little while." He began his instruction.

"First, you are going to learn to cast a simple shield that should be effective against most of the offensive spells and jinxes thrown at you, then you are going to learn simple effective stunning spells and some other useful jinxes…ready?" he asked stepping forward and she nodded in earnest.

"Ok the shield spell is _Protego_ and the wand movement is a wide circular clockwise movement. The spell is not too hard to accomplish but you have to concentrate and focus to make it strong enough." He warned.

It did not take Hermione long to get a shield up but she knew it was not a strong one as it shimmered and disintegrated soon after. After numerous similar tries, her frustration began to show and Ron reluctantly moved on to another spell.

"Ok let's try the basic disarmament spell _Expelliamus._ This will disarm anyone once you focus on the person and what he is holding." He informed her firmly and proceeded to show her the spell.

"Why can't we use the _Accio_ spell from yesterday to do this?" she interrupted him with a thought. Ron paused to answer her.

"Good question but there are two main reasons. The _Accio_ spell is not sight specific as you can summon any object regardless of where it is once your description is clear. You will have to cast " _Accio Death Eaters Wands"_ and that might work but not every bad guy is a death eater so you have to be sure or else it might not be the surest way. _Expelliamus is_ sight specific. Once you can see your opponent and you focus the spell on him or her, then it will work. Another big reason is that it also delivers a mild stunning blow while disarming. In fact, if you are strong enough in your spell-work you can even knock out someone with this spell." He explained as Hermione now understood the differences in spells.

This time she was able to perform the spell fairly well and successfully disarmed Ron after a few tries to his satisfaction. She was not able to deliver any hard blows with the spell but her confidence was restored enough to tackle the first true offensive spell that Ron showed her.

As she went through the motions of the _Stupefy_ spell even managing to damage some cushions Ron had put as targets, she could not help but marvel at Ron's ability to teach her. Yes he was a bit impatience as was his natural character but he was also very clear and concise in his explanations. Of course the picture of him earlier in the morning without his shirt did nothing to help her concentration.

"Ok just like the shield spell, the strength and accuracy of the stunning spell relies heavily on your focus and will. The greater your focus the stronger the spell." He was looking at her knowingly.

"That is why this may be hard for you. You have never willingly hurt someone or had the need to protect yourself so it will be difficult to learn but you need to practice this Hermione. It could make the difference when you need it." He finished without elaborating but she knew what he meant.

Over the next hour or two, Hermione practiced until she was almost exhausted but Ron was firmly driving her on having apparently completely forgotten about his initial suggestion to take it easy today. She was also performing a few simple jinxes and hexes he had taught her but her shield and stunning spells were still weak. However, when they finally broke for lunch, he suggested that maybe she should get some rest before resuming in the afternoon session.

She put up some mild resistance but had to concede her tiredness, so after eating her meal she retired to her bed but was unable to sleep. She watched as Ron who had remained on the dining table was once again trying to contact anyone on his communication shield and getting more frustrated with each minute. His frustration and worry was affecting her indirectly and it all came to a head early on in the next practice session…

 **o0o**

"No no. Not like that! You have to make the movement continuous and wider! What's the sense of having a shield that only covers half of you? And it is not strong enough Hermione. I could knock that down with just my hand! What good is that?" He bellowed at her as she felt the tears rise up behind her eyes.

"Stop shouting at me Ron. I'm trying but I can't get it the way you want so give me a break!" she tried to retaliate but her failure was draining her resolve. She watched him run his hands through his hair and took a step back as he suddenly approached her with a firm look.

She almost dropped her wand when he moved behind her and took hold of her hand to show her the correct method. His chest was pressed up to her back and his smell permeated all over her space. He moved her hand in the required motion but the feel of his other hand on her waist and his closeness unnerved her greatly. She shook him off and moved away quickly.

"I can do it on my own! Just give me a chance." She said as firmly as she could without looking at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm trying to help but you are just being stubborn as usual. Damn it Hermione what do you think will happen if someone attacks you." He shouted loudly at her and she felt herself snap.

"Someone like who Ron? Who is going to attack me? More death eaters or whatever! I don't even know who you are talking about! For all I know this prophecy and my supposed involvement is all complete nonsense. I don't know if my parents are safe and I don't know what I am waiting on. All I know is that we are stuck in this damn house with nowhere to go!" she screamed at him and watched as he struggled to stay in control.

"Don't tell me about not knowing whose safe or not! I don't know shit about my parents and the rest of my family or my friends and Harry!" he hissed at her. "I have no clue what's going on with this bloody queen witch or whoever it is that attacked the Ministry. I don't like being stuck here as much as you so stop complaining and just be happy that we are safe." He finished his rant breathing deeply.

"There you go again! Safe from who? I wish someone else could tell me something that makes a lot more sense." She replied in frustration and anger.

"What you don't believe me now? After everything we have been through? Bloody hell Hermione is that how you really feel?" he shot at her in disbelief.

Hermione immediately regretted her outburst. Ron was the last person she should be upset at but he was the only one at the moment that she could vent her frustration against. She softened her look and raised her hand out towards him in a show of remorse as she slumped down on the nearest bed.

"I…I'm sorry Ron. Truly. It's just that this whole situation overwhelms me sometimes." She said with a guilty voice. "I do trust you and I am grateful for you being here with me. Please forgive me." she finished softly looking up at him.

Ron closed his mouth and sighed before taking a seat beside her on the bed. He gently touched her arm.

"It's ok. I'm sorry too. I should not be pushing you so hard so fast. I just took out my worries on you and that is inexcusable. Please say you forgive me?" he gave her his best pleading look and she had to chuckle at him.

"Of course you prat. I forgive you." She smiled at him but still felt a bit lost.

'I just wish we could get out of here for a while." She looked at him hopefully. "Is there anyone else that you could talk to? Someone who will know what's going on?" she asked but Ron shook his head sadly.

"We are in a muggle…I mean non magical village and I can't take the chance going into a magical one or trying to find some of my friends. Someone might recognize us." He told her but she was a bit excited at his revelation.

"Are there really whole magical villages? With only magical people living there?" she asked excitedly as Ron chuckled at her while rolling his eyes.

"Yes Hermione. It's a bit different than what you may be accustomed to but for the most part we live very similar lives. Don't worry, you will soon get to see it all." He promised her with a smile before flopping down on his back to lie on the bed in resignation. Hermione again felt bad about her harsh words earlier.

"I'm really sorry about what I said before. Even though these last few days have been crazy I do believe you so don't worry…" she was interrupted as he sat up suddenly again and looked away from her in deep thought.

"Actually…there _is_ someone we can visit. We might not find out much about what is going on but it might do you some good…and it will get us out of here for a while. We just have to be careful…and I have to carry my shield just in case Harry calls…" He was speaking aloud to himself and she hit his leg to remind him that she was right here besides him.

"Who are you talking about Ron?" Can we really go?" she asked hopefully. She had no idea who he was talking about but she was instantly eager to find out. Ron jumped up and moved to his bed.

"Pack your bag. You never know what might happen so it's best to be prepared." He ordered as he went about stuffing items into his work bag. She followed him and stood next to him her hands on her hip.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going and whom we are going to see or is this another dark secret?" she asked sarcastically but he just pushed her bag towards her with a small smirk on his face.

"If you really want to know…we are heading back to your school campus. So the faster you pack your things, the faster you will find out Granger so get cracking." He instructed before heading into the bathroom and leaving her bewildered. _Back to school? Who was he going to see there…?_

 **o0o**

They apparated out huddled together landing behind the teachers' office building that she knew all too well. In fact they had been here only a short time ago. Ron waited for her head to clear and her stomach to settle before taking her hand and cautiously moving along the side of the building. She started to speak wanting to find out who their mysterious target was but he shushed her with a finger to his mouth until they came to the front door. Pulling her along he moved through the door and then pulled her to the side of the small foyer.

"Your professor Dr. Hendricks said she was staying on for a while during the summer remember. Do you think she will be here? Shit I should have made sure before coming." He rambled a bit but she was so surprised that she wasn't even bothered by his language.

"What…who...Dr. Hendricks? Why are we going to see her?" she squeaked out in complete surprise.

Ron took a deep breath and squeezed her hand which he was still nicely holding.

"Because I'm pretty sure that your favourite teacher…is a witch and I would love to find out her story." he blurted out surprising her even more.

"What! That's preposterous! It can't be!" she stuttered loudly at the extraordinary news as Ron moved her further to the side.

"Not so loud Hermione! Look I felt it the last time we were here and I think she knew who I was so let's just go and find out." He used her stunned silence to drag her along the corridor which luckily was deserted. He kept his voice low as he spoke.

"Magical people can sometimes sense other wizards or witches among non-magical people. That's how I knew you were a witch too. Did you feel anything when you met me? Because I think your magic is strong enough to sense something." He asked her offhandedly and she was grateful he was not looking directly at her because her face began to heat up as she thought about his question.

Oh yes she had definitely felt something on meeting him. It was subtle at first and she was puzzled by it but it progressed to the point where she thought it was some sort of natural attraction to him. Good lord! Was it just a magical feeling? Or could it be a mixture of both? She hoped it was the latter but to her relief she never got to answer him as they stopped in front of the familiar door.

"Ok. Right. Shall we just knock and see if she's in?" Ron now seemed to be hesitant about his spur of the moment decision and looked to her for confirmation. Hermione was too curious to back out now. She stepped forward in front of him.

"Oh for heaven's sake let me." She said boldly and knocked on the door firmly. When there was no answer Ron fidgeted behind her.

"Maybe this was not such a good idea…" he began as the door suddenly swung open to reveal the small teacher.

"Hello who is it? Oh Hermione. What are you doing here?" she greeted her before shifting her eyes behind her. "Ah Mr. Weasley nice to see you again." She swung her eyes back and forth between them for a few seconds and then gestured for them to come inside with a knowing look.

When they were all seated, Dr. Hendricks took another look at Ron then leaned forward slightly in her chair to address him directly.

"I take it that you told her." She asked him pointedly as Hermione let out a soft gasp. When he gave a slight nod she turned to her with a small smile.

"And I take it that you were taken completely by surprise when you found out you were a witch Hermione?" she wasn't really asking but Hermione also nodded before shifting excitedly forward too.

"How...I…Did you know all along?" was all she could manage. The elder witch was still smiling at her.

"Yes Hermione. I knew from the moment I met you but I soon realised after getting to know you that you had no idea about your special…heritage shall we say." she paused briefly. "So I decided just to keep an eye on you and wait until maybe there would come a time when I could offer some assistance if you needed. When I saw Mr. Weasley with you I figured that time might come soon. " She informed her.

"So I was right. You did recognize me." Ron piped up beside her. Dr. Hendricks nodded again.

"Yes I did. You are not too hard to miss. I still follow the daily prophet so I know all about…that time." She answered softly but Hermione could not contain herself any longer.

"Wait. Wait! Hold on. I'm a bit confused. You are a witch but you are a teaching doctor here in the non-magical world. Why are you here and not there?" she knew she sounded a bit looney but she was genuinely confused. The woman sighed loudly and now leaned back into her chair closing her eyes for a few seconds before looking at her.

"I don't know how much Ron told you but there was another war when Lord Voldemort first came into power. Both my parents were healers…the equivalent to a doctor here, and they played a major part helping the injured and the sick." Here she paused and blinked. "I was eighteen and just finishing school when both my parents were killed in that war. I was left all alone with a younger brother who had just started Hogwarts." She dipped her head but raised her hand to stop her from interrupting.

"I was sent to live with my muggle aunt who kindly took us in. I decided to forget about the magical world and all its troubles and get on with my life here so I went back to proper school to get my A levels and then to medical school right here to honour my parents. I always wanted to be a teacher so I continued on first in research and now as a professor. That's it in a nutshell." She finished.

Hermione was silent for a few seconds as she took in the tale of her favourite teacher.

"Do you miss it? Being there I mean and all that goes with it." She asked trying her best not to offend her teacher but the smile was back on Dr. Hendricks face.

"Sometimes I miss it but my life is here Hermione. I have nothing to go back to. As I said before, I still follow the news and I must confess I was happy not to be there when the second war took place. I also miss performing magic sometimes and I am tempted to dig up my old wand but…I guess you can say that there is also a special kind of magic here too so I refrain. It's lonely sometimes as I never wanted to get married but I have learned to love it here in my own way." She said waving her hand.

Hermione tried to digest everything she had just heard but was still having difficulty comprehending all she had heard. The petit woman now was asking her own questions.

"So what are you two really doing here? I know Ron is attached to the special Aurors so I'm guessing that telling Hermione that she is a witch is part of your job here." She inquired from both of them. Ron threw her a glance then cleared his throat softly.

"Erm… well yes in a way but I am unable to tell you all the details. Sad to say but there is yet another witch who is making some trouble in our world and let's just say it is better for Hermione to be in our care at this moment." He explained vaguely hoping to satisfy her. As such he turned to her and suggested that they should be going soon.

Hermione knew he wanted to stay away from her particular story but she really wanted to talk to her teacher for a few more minutes. It was Dr. Hendricks who gave her a chance.

"Ron…could I perhaps talk to Hermione in private for just a short while before you leave?" she asked. Ron again glanced at her to let her know his concerns but nodded shortly.

"Right. I'm off to the loo again apparently." He smirked as he stood up before going serious. "We can leave when I get back in five minutes." He warned before stepping outside the door. Dr. Hendricks immediately moved closer to her in her chair.

"Hermione I don't know what is happening but I just want say that that you have a bright future her as a doctor and I would hate for you to give that up." She said quickly before sighing quietly. "Look I don't want to give you the wrong impression despite all this talk of war but the magical world is a beautiful place that will enthral you. You have a right to experience all its beauty and…well magic but I just want you to keep an open mind. That's all I want to say." She gave her another smile as she sat back and Hermione was touched at her concern.

"Thanks Dr. Hendricks but I think I have to go and help with something now but you're also right. I want to experience this new world and all it has to offer. I don't know what will happen after and like you I do not know anyone there…except Ron of course…and Harry who I have met briefly." She stuttered at the last part with a slight blush which the professor noticed.

"What do you know about Harry and Ron and the last war Hermione?" she asked as Hermione gathered herself.

"Well I know they played a part in the defeat of that evil dark wizard…Voldemort was his name to end the war." she answered what she knew. The professor now had a knowing smile on her face.

"Ron and Harry did not just play a part Hermione. Harry was the one who actually defeated Voldemort in the final battle and Ron was right there by his side. Those two are the biggest heroes of the war and they are treated as such everywhere they go. They are both the most sought after eligible wizards in the magical world especially Ron now that Harry has a steady girlfriend. He might not appear to be that different but you are being escorted in by someone special Hermione. I just want you to know that." She smirked as the blush returned to her face.

She was saved by the knock on the door and they both stood up to say their goodbyes.

"I hope to see you again Hermione. Please come at any time and if I am not here you can leave a message to contact you." The smiling witch gave her a brief hug and said her farewell to both of them…

 **o0o**

They landed back at the safe house but Hermione quickly moved to the little bench she had used before to sit. She had kept quiet up to now and Ron wisely had kept his silence as they had returned to the secluded spot next to the building before apparating away. Ron moved by her side but remained standing with his wand. She looked up at him.

"So Dr. Hendricks tells me that you and Harry are huge heroes back in the magical world and that every witch is after you. Were you ever going to tell me?" she said in a teasing voice. She noticed his ears turn pink as he rubbed the back of his neck. _He truly was special she thought._

"Ah…is that what she said? I don't know about that so much. Harry for sure but do I look like any hero to you?" he laughed to cover his red ears as she shook her head.

"You're right. You still look like a prat to me." She chuckled with a smile. "But I must be special to be looked after by such an eligible wizard." She teased again and his lopsided grin appeared to startle her heart.

"You _are_ very special Miss Granger and it is my luck and honour to be looking after you." He flirted jokingly as they both stared stupidly at each other before he turned to look up.

"It's getting dark. Let's go inside." He said moving to the door and waving his wand to unlock the charms. He waited by the open door for her and brushed his hand gently against her lower back as she moved pass him to go inside. Hermione suddenly did feel a bit special and smiled broadly as he followed her in after closing the door.

They both stood awkwardly in the small dining room and Hermione was beginning to become flustered when Ron's communication shield on his belt suddenly rang out loudly making them jump at the sound. Ron recovered quickly and flicked his wand at his side. Hermione automatically reached for hers from her bag.

There was silence for two seconds before Harry voice sailed in clearly. He sounded out of breath.

"Ron don't say anything just listen carefully! The Ministry has fallen to that bloody queen witch and they have assumed control. The ones who were not inside are now in hiding. They can track your magic now Ron so you have to get out of there as soon as you can but you cannot use any magic. They are tracing your wand. Get to your special place, the one you are working on and wait for me there. I will come and meet you in a few days as soon as I can arrange everything here. It's a mess Ron." The message suddenly ended and Hermione's heart felt like it has stopped.

Ron was stuffing his bag with a few food items and turned to her with a grim face.

"Make sure you have everything and let's go. Hurry!" he ordered as she scrambled to ensure that all her stuff was packed. She was a few steps behind him on the way to the door when he stopped and rubbed his left arm. She heard the sound of something cracking over the roof.

"Damn. Stay behind me. I think the charms just went down." He ordered her as he stepped towards the door.

He turned to his left side to tell her something when the heavy wooden door exploded off its hinges and slammed directly into him knocking him clean off his feet. Hermione stumbled back and fell in a cloud of dust and debris. She struggled to stand and staggered forward watching in horror at the bloodied man on the ground in front of her who appeared to be semi-conscious.

Looking up she saw a large dark shadow appear to fill the space in the door frame.

"Well well. What do we have here? The great Ron Weasley at my feet. Time to finish you off for once and for all." He cackled loudly.

Hermione was frozen in her spot, terror running through her body. Her wand suddenly felt heavy like a piece of lead in her hand. She watched in complete helplessness as the large man laughed out loud again before raising his wand in front of him and aiming directly at the motionless Ron on the floor…

 **o0o**

 _ **AN: This story has just been nominated for "Most Intriguing Plot" on the Tumblr Romione Awards 2016 even though I have only just started Part 2 of this four part story. I truly am honoured to be nominated again on that great forum and I wish to thank everyone again for their continuing support.**_


	15. The Way Forward

_**AN: Sorry for this delay but I had to literally write this on the road as I am currently on a little holiday in a warmer country so please excuse any mistakes you may find. Don't worry nothing will stop me from continuing to the end I promise.**_

 **Chapter 14: The Way Forward.**

His arms were burning the moment he felt the protection charms go down and he cursed himself for not being aware of the danger before it was too late. He took a step forward quickly going through all the options in his head before deciding to apparate out with Hermione. He turned to grab onto her when the door in front of him exploded with a loud crash slamming into his right side and knocking him to the ground. He struggled to remain conscious with his ears ringing and pain shooting through various parts of his body. He knew his right shoulder was dislocated and that his upper arm and a few ribs on that side were broken too. His knee throbbed with pain but that was not new to him, he only hoped that he could stand. His wand had fallen from his grasp but he could barely move to locate it and his panic began as he realised that the girl behind him was now brutally exposed to the presence of someone standing in the doorway. _Oh God! Move Weasley!_

He blinked to clear his eyes from the blood dripping down from his forehead but as he looked up between the dust and haze, the death eater was now laughing and saying something which he could not understand. He fumbled around with his left hand and miraculously found his wand which was close to his side. He was not that efficient in casting spells with his left hand but he had done it before and was good enough to deliver a stunning spell if he had to. He waited until the large man raised his hand then closed his fingers around his wand to strike…at least he tried to. His fingers barely moved and his arm felt like stone. He was moving much too slow and would never be able to strike in time! He was going to be blown to bits!

He watched in despair as the bulky man pointed at him with another sick laugh. Ron felt his fingers finally close around his wand but braced himself for the blow that was to come his way…He heard a loud shout but to his surprise it came from behind him.

A flash of red streaked above his head and struck the death eater with such force that he was thrown back through the air striking the other figures outside the doorway. Ron pulled himself to a sitting position and used the moment to put up a shield charm around the open space. It was not the strongest shield seeing it was cast with his left hand but it would hold long enough for them to get out.

He finally stood shakily and looked at Hermione. She was deathly pale and shaking slightly in her spot. Her wand was still out front and her face reflected a look of surprise and accomplishment. There was no time however for accolades as he picked up his bag and limped towards her with a determined plan.

"Grab your bag Hermione and hold on to me!" he ordered as he braced himself for the inevitable pain which was to come. He was too badly injured to apparate any far distance but all he needed was some time. Hermione came out of her shock to nod her head at him as he closed his eyes and spun. _This was going to hurt!_

 **o0o**

They landed with a loud crack and Ron groaned at the pain that shot through his right side as he felt himself falling to the ground with Hermione also rolling away from him. They were at the foot of the hill about a mile away from the safe house which they could still see in the distance.

Ron was breathing deeply and still trying to recover from the short apparition when Hermione shook him forcefully.

"Ron are you ok? We have to move from here as I can still see the house." She told him in a hurried breath as she looked him over with a worried look on her face. She took a small cloth and the dittany liquid from out of her bag and proceeded to wipe away the blood from off his face and to heal the bruises that she could see. He took hold of her hand gently with his left and tugged at it to get her attention.

"You heard Harry. They can trace us now if we use magic which means that very soon they will be able to find us." He looked at her and paused before continuing. He kept hold of her hand to steady her.

"I can't apparate anywhere again with these injuries Hermione and I can't heal myself without the use of my right hand so…you will have to do it ok?" he watched as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Me? I…I can't…How can…" she stammered loudly but he tightened his grip and pulled her closer to him.

"Listen Hermione. You can do it. I know you have the healing book memorized inside out plus you have seen me do it before. Also judging by what you did back there in the house, this should be a breeze for you." He managed to smile through the pain. "We don't have much time. All you have to do is fix my shoulder and my arm…and some of my ribs. You can do it. I will help you." He reassured her as she bit down on her lower lip in contemplation. He could not wait for much longer.

"Come on. _Episkey_ remember. Quick roll of the wrist and concentrate on my right shoulder joint then my upper arm. You have to hurry Hermione!" he prodded her to start.

Hermione was still biting her lip but nodded determinedly as she knelt before him. She took a deep breath and held her wand out in front of her pointed to his shoulder. She gave him a quick glance before casting the healing spell out loud. Ron immediately felt the pain relief in his shoulder and smiled at her encouragingly.

"That was great. Now the arm and ribs right here. You're doing fine Hermione." He said truthfully as he showed her the location of the breaks. She took another deep breath and focused again, her brow creased in concentration.

She swiftly healed his broken arm and ribs and as Ron swung his arm gingerly around with a smile she looked on with wonderment on her face. His arm and ribs were still slightly sore but a hundred percent better than a few moments ago. Hermione appeared trilled with her accomplishment.

"You are going be one hell of a healer Ms. Granger." He remarked before standing up and holding out his hand to her to prove his point. She was still staring at his arm as she let him pull her up.

"I can't believe I just did that!" she laughed out and he would have joined in if not for the sight of movement outside the house in the distance which he noticed. He took a wary step towards her.

"Right we have to move. Hold on and concentrate on the same spot we used to go and see Doctor Hendricks. It will help me if you picture it in your head too." He told her before putting his hand around her waist. She looked up at him knowingly.

"Are you really ok? How's your knee?" she asked.

"It hurts like hell but I'm used to it. Are you ready?" he ignored her concerns as she nodded.

They soon appeared besides the dark building on the medical campus. His knee was really hurting but they needed to move quickly. Hermione held on to him to ensure that he could walk.

"Ok. We head to the tube station and take the first random train we see. They are not going to be able to trace us in there." He informed her as they set off walking the short distance to the station.

A few heads turned their way to glance at the bushy haired girl helping the red head limping along but they were soon seated on the first train that happened by. It was the blue line heading North West. They waited for a good fifteen minutes passing at least ten stops before getting off at Sudbury Hill Station. It was as good a place as any to hold up for the night. As they walked along the busy road, Hermione finally turned to him ask about his plans. She had been quiet throughout the journey but he couldn't blame her as she had been through one hell of an ordeal.

"Where are we going Ron? What is your special place that Harry was referring to?" she inquired. Ron used the occasion to pull into a small fish and chips place to get some much needed food. They took a table in the back and waited for their order to arrive with Ron sitting facing the door, his wand on the seat by his side. He rubbed his aching knee as he looked at the girl who had probably saved him earlier more than once he ventured. He had dragged her into this madness and so far he was doing a woeful job at keeping her safe. It was a wonder that she was able to keep it together and not run away as far as she could from him. He opened his mouth to thank her but the food suddenly appeared and they set about eating in silence. It was only as he was on his last bite that he finally answered her question.

"The special place…it's the house that I bought just outside Exeter in Devon a while ago. It's a work in progress I have to say and that's why I knew it was really Harry talking and not some impersonator trying to trick us. Only he and my eldest brother know about it." He answered her question but then began to explain his plan.

"I was sorely tempted to apparate somewhere closer to Devon but I don't want to lead them anywhere near our final destination. London is much easier to hide for the night and it was closer to apparate to. I figure we rest up tonight then see if we can get a train or something else heading to Exeter in the morning. What do you think?" he asked. She was in this with him so she should have a say he thought, especially when he was at a great disadvantage in the muggle world.

Hermione appeared a little surprised at first that he had asked for her opinion but soon she seemed to be thinking along with him. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked at him.

"I suppose taking a train is our best option. We could have tried taking a taxi direct to your place but that would have been too expensive for us. We just have to find out which station the train to Exeter leaves from. We can ask at the hotel…I assume we are staying at a hotel tonight?" she looked at him expectantly with a slight blush on her face. Ron nodded as he stood up.

"Yes I think I saw a sign for one just up the road. Let's go now as I want to get an early start tomorrow." He waited for her to grab her stuff then headed out of the shop and up the road. As they entered the hotel lobby he put his hand on her arm to get her attention. He rummaged in his front pocket for some muggle money to give her.

"Here take this and get a room with two beds. I really don't want you out of my sight…for safety reasons." He added for clarity but felt his ears heat up slightly. Hermione stared at him for a second but nodded in understanding with a serious face as she took the money from him.

"I…I was going to do it anyway. I don't think I can be alone tonight not after a day like today." her face and body bore the telling signs of tiredness and apprehension but she straightened up as she approached the counter.

The room was surprisingly clean and comfortable. There were two double beds and a small desk with a chair next to the window which overlooked the noisy street outside. Ron tossed his bag onto the bed furthest away from the bathroom and grabbed the ice bucket sitting on the desk.

"You can have the bathroom first. I'll be back shortly." He informed her turning back to the door but she stopped him with a tight hold on his arm.

"Where are you going?" she asked loudly her eyes going wide suddenly as he realised her worry. He reach out and held her hand over his arm.

"I'm just going to get some ice Hermione…for my knee." He told her gently. "I can't put up any charms around the room but we are safe here. They can't track us once we don't use magic. We just have to be careful." He tried to sound sure of himself even though he was also a little worried. She finally let go of her hold and disappeared into the bathroom with her bag.

Even though he was mostly sure that they were not followed and that their position was momentarily safe, Ron took a few minutes looking out of the window scanning up and down the street for anyone suspicious. He rubbed his left arm as he searched but he felt nothing. The sound of the shower running brought his mind back inside the small room and back to the girl using it. He shook his head away from the images that threatened to invade his brain and gripped the ice bucket tightly in his hand. Maybe a bucket full of cold ice might just be appropriate now he told himself as he let himself quietly out of the room.

When he returned, she was already dressed in a pyjamas pants and a tee shirt sitting on her bed reading some papers that the desk manager had given her. She gave him a startled look but quickly relaxed as he put the ice down on the desk and picked up his bag.

"There's a 11:00am train from Paddington Station and a 11:30am one from Waterloo Station both going to Exeter." She told him holding one of the papers in her hand. "They are both easy to get to from her but I think we should aim for the 11:00 one at Paddington." She told him with some surety as he stopped at the bathroom door.

"That sounds good. I wish there was something earlier but at least it would give us some time and we won't have to hurry." He nodded in agreement before closing the door.

After stripping off his clothes, he stood and took a few moments to examine himself. His shoulder and arm were sore but looked remarkably good. There were a few bruises on his forehead, forehand and right side but nothing to alarm him. His knee was the biggest problem for now, swollen and tender to the touch. Nothing felt broken or dislocated so he figured a good icing would be enough for him to recover by morning.

After a long hot shower, he dried off and slipped into a clean boxer shorts and a loose cotton vest. Thinking about the girl outside, he briefly considered putting on his sweat pants but he had to get his knee sorted out as soon as possible. Hopefully she would be asleep in her bed by now or at least under the sheets with her eyes closed. Deciding that necessity outweighed his modesty he quickly grabbed a face towel and quietly stepped outside into the bedroom.

The light was off on her side of the bed and it looked like she was indeed sleeping as he picked up the full ice bucket and moved to sit on the side of his bed. He wrapped the small towel around some ice, waited for a minute then gingerly pressed the icy cloth on his knee….then let out a small groan as the pain hit him. Hissing and cursing under his breath, he alternated between icing the swollen area and removing the cloth for some relief.

"You have to leave it on if you want it to get better I'm afraid." He heard from the other bed as he raised his head in surprise to see her sitting up and looking down at his knee.

"Well it hurts like hell when I put it on and you should be sleeping." He growled between his teeth.

"If you stop whining like a baby then maybe I could actually _get_ to sleep." She answered pointedly folding her arms across her chest.

Ron open his mouth for a retort but it suddenly occurred to him that he was the last person to be complaining considering what she had gone through the last couple of hours…or days really. He even suspected that she was affected by what had transpired a lot more than she showed. He closed his mouth and gave her a sheepish look.

"Sorry…but it's just easier to scream at my knee than at this bloody situation I guess." He tried to explain his horrid mood.

He watched Hermione scramble out from her bed and move into the bathroom where she retrieved another towel. She padded over to where he sat and knelt before him a look of concern on her face.

"Here let me do this." she took the ice filled towel from his hand and rested it over his knee before wrapping the larger towel around the whole joint.

"Just leave it. It's going to hurt a lot for a few minutes but then your knee is going to become a bit numb and the pain should be bearable. Then you have to refresh the ice and do it all over after about twenty minutes." She gave him the instructions but her face remained down as she held her trembling hand over the towel on his knee. Ron could not help but notice the shake in her small hand and without thinking reached down and covered it with one of his own.

"Thank you for this and thank you for earlier… with that death eater and with healing me. You were great today Hermione. Amazing really." He squeezed her hand gently to convey his thanks.

She remained still, staring at his hand when he noticed with trepidation a small tear roll down the side of her cheek. He sat up a bit but she didn't move her hand from under his. She turned her face to him with watery eyes and his heart jolted with concern and the need to console her.

"I was so scared Ron…when I saw you on the ground and that man about to…I don't know how I did it. I just knew I couldn't let him hurt you and…I just pointed my wand at him and he went flying back. Do you…do you think I killed him?" she asked with a soft scared voice as Ron put his other hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think so Hermione it was just a strong stunner spell. You have to have real hate inside you to kill someone and all you did was protect me. You would have been next so don't feel guilty about it one bit you hear me?" he shook her slightly to emphasize his point.

"You did real good Hermione and I am proud of you. You are a strong amazing witch who was able to perform some advanced magic with hardly any training. Think about that." He rubbed her shoulder as he finished. Hermione wiped her face with her free hand but again looked down away from him.

"Well I don't feel so strong now. I just feel…" she trailed off without finishing and Ron pushed her back gently to make her face him.

"Hey it's ok to feel scared sometimes but we'll be fine. You most probably saved my life so you may think I may be a bit obligated but I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you I promise." He gave her a small grin and a nod. "And you were right. My knee is completely numb so as I said before, you are going to make a great healer too." his smiled widened as she returned his grin.

"Can you tell me about St. Mungros and what healers really do there?" she suddenly changed topic on him but he shook his head. She was obviously trying to kill some time.

"I will tell you all about it later but you should get some sleep now Hermione. You had a long day and we need to be alert tomorrow. Go on." He pointed to her bed and she reluctantly slipped between the sheets after giving him a forced glare which made him chuckle lightly.

He refreshed the ice towel around his knee and waited another twenty minutes before unwrapping the towels and putting back the remaining ice into the bucket. He hung the towels over the chair and spent another few minutes looking out the window again. He glanced over as Hermione tossed about in her bed. He had hoped she would have settled down quickly and gone to sleep bit it seemed that would not be the case tonight.

Sighing to himself quietly, Ron finally got into his bed and drew the sheets over himself. He crossed his arms behind his head replaying all that had occurred within the past few days and quietly planning for the next day. He was determined to keep his promise to keep her safe so he would have to be extra careful from here on. No more being taken unawares and leaving her unprotected…

The loud bang of a motor vehicle backfiring in the street outside the window made him jump in surprise but the girl next to him almost flew out of her bed wide eyed with fear on her face. He quickly sat up and turned to her.

"It's ok Hermione. It was just a vehicle backfiring. Go back to sleep." He assured her but her face was slow to return to normal as she stared at him before going a bit pink in the face.

"Right…sorry…I just thought…" she muttered before laying back down. Ron returned to his position but his worry now lay with Hermione and what he could do to relieve her obvious nerves. She really had been amazing throughout this ordeal but he needed her to hold on a little while longer until he could get her to somewhere a lot safer than this hotel in the middle of nowhere.

"Ron? …Are you awake?" he heard her soft voice call out to him with a slight tremor which did nothing to make his worry decrease. He turned in the darkness towards her.

"You need to get some sleep Hermione. I'm right here." He answered.

"I know but…I just need…" again her voice trailed off and he wondered for a moment if she was not feeling well.

"Do you need something? Are you feeling ok?" he asked knocking himself for not doing so earlier.

"Yes. Yes." She answered quickly. "I mean I'm fine but I was just wondering if…if I could…" she stalled again and realization suddenly hit him in the face. It was the last thing he would have thought of but he convinced himself that at least it was something he could do that would ease both of their worries at the moment. He swallowed then pulled back the sheets around him.

"Erm…Do you want to kip here with me…just for tonight that is…if it would make you feel better. You need to sleep after all." he stammered a bit but she was off her bed in a flash slipping wordlessly next to him. She settled down away from him as best she could but he thanked the darkness for hiding the awkward blushes that he knew were on both of their faces.

As he relaxed with the added warmth next to him, he felt her reach out and touch his side.

"Just for the tonight…and thanks Ron." She said softly as he smiled to himself.

"Goodnight Hermione. Sleep well." He told her with his ears tingling.

 **o0o**

Ron led Hermione out of the tube station at Paddington and up the escalator to the main hallway that led to the train station. They both had kept quiet on the journey, both well rested from a good night's sleep and both somewhat embarrassed by the more than friendly compromising position they had awaken to earlier.

He had open his eyes from a dead sleep to find her snuggled up against his side with her chin resting on his shoulder, her hand across his chest and their feet entwined under the sheets. He had a few seconds to relish the feel of her against him when her eyes had opened to slowly register her position. He barely had the time to give her a sheepish smile before she greeted him with a barely audible good morning and darted out from under him to disappear in the bathroom.

Things had been decidedly uncomfortable after that but he took the easier position that he _had_ helped her get a good night's sleep so no matter how embarrassing the situation was, it was well worth the discomfort. Of course waking up to a soft snuggling warm Hermione would always be worth it in his mind but for now he convinced himself that it was more about her wellbeing than his. Needless to say Hermione remained with a pink face throughout the morning preparations but had slowly returned to herself as they set out in earnest to the train station.

As they came to the top of the escalator Hermione stumbled on her step off and he instinctively put his hand on her lower back to steady her. She gave him a thankful smile but the warmth that flowed through his hands quickly turned into a stinging sensation in his arm warning him that danger was near.

Trying not to alarm her, he kept his hand on her and guided her off to the side between the busy morning crowds. He finally managed to pull her into a little souvenir shop and she now could ascertain the worry on his face.

"What is it Ron? Is something wrong?" she asked anxiously as he peered through the open doorway.

"I think they are here. I can feel it." When she raised her eyebrows at him he dismissed her silent question.

"I'll explain later but something is wrong and I think that it is more than likely that they are covering the main train stations. I was hoping against this. Do you know where the ticketing booths are?" he asked.

"Yes it's through that corridor on the left. We will be able to see it around the corner." She told him in a shaky voice but Ron was already looking around the shop for something. He quickly picked up a London cap and a wide scarf and paid for it at the counter. He handed the scarf to her as he donned the blue cap over his red hair.

"Ok just put this around you to cover your face and follow my lead. Just pretend we are a normal couple walking through the station." He told her as they made their way out of the shop holding hands and staying close to each other.

As they approached the end of the corridor, Ron stopped behind a large column and drew her close to him pretending to talk to her while looking around. His arm was beginning to actually hurt with the sensation of danger. A quick scan towards the ticketing booth showed him the reason. He could already make out two suspicious figures dressed in black coats that flanked the booth on each side.

"Shit. Damn. I was right. Both sides…dressed in black coats." He whispered into her ear. Hermione had her arms around him for effect but she turned her head slightly away to look in his direction. Ron did not wait for her to confirm his findings. He pulled her away and they headed back to where they had come from.

It was only when they were back in the tube area that he stopped to access the situation. He pulled off his cap and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"What are we going to do now?" Hermione asked as she also pulled off the heavy scarf around her neck.

"They probably are also watching the other main stations so I won't even consider going to the Waterloo station." he reasoned as she nodded in agreement.

"Do you that we could just take a bus to one of the train stops and catch the train there?" she asked more to herself than anything as she knew he was crap at finding his way around. He shook his head in thought.

"It sounds good even though I have no idea how to go about it but my guess is that they will have more people at the bus station too." His mind was churning away at all possibilities.

"I just wish we had some other way. Even that taxi idea sounds like a good plan now but I can't even confound the driver to take us there without paying…maybe we could just take his…wait a minute." He turned to her with a grin on his face and Hermione waited holding her breath.

"Hermione can you get us to your uncle's place where your parents are staying? I think it's time for you to visit them." He continued to grin at her confused face but she soon frowned in thought.

"We can get to them easy from here. We just take the tube heading southwest to Hounslow I think then take the bus to Feltham. It's just south of the big airport, not exactly country but close enough for my parents to call it such. Do you really think we can really go and visit them Ron?" she asked hopefully as her eyes brightened with the prospect of seeing her parents again.

"Well it depends…" he said as her shoulders sagged with his words.

"Depends on what?" she asked bobbing up and down on her feet.

"Well…can you drive that car of theirs?"

 **o0o**


End file.
